


Becoming Human

by MoonieMoonlight



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game), 방탄소년단 | Bangtan Boys | BTS
Genre: Anal Plug, Angst, Attempt at Humor, Blood, Bottom Jeon Jungkook, Bottom Kim Taehyung | V, Butt Plugs, Christmas, Christmas Eve, Christmas Fluff, Christmas Smut, Crime Scenes, Death, Dildos, Explicit Language, Explicit Sexual Content, Falling In Love, Handcuffs, Light Angst, M/M, Murder, New Year's Eve, New Year's Fluff, New Year's Resolutions, Oral Sex, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Shameless Smut, Smut, Switch Jeon Jungkook, Switch Kim Taehyung | V, Switch Taekook, Top Jeon Jungkook, Top Kim Taehyung | V, taekook, vkook
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-31
Updated: 2020-03-10
Packaged: 2021-01-15 20:43:29
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 85,133
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21259367
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MoonieMoonlight/pseuds/MoonieMoonlight
Summary: Jeon Jeongguk is tired of being heartbroken. He decides he wants to detach from human emotions and, as many people do near the midst of the 21st century, the hot-young police officer purchases a gorgeous android, in a time when these machines are so similar to humans that cannot be distinguished from us, except for a small circle of light embedded in their temples.Jeongguk won't get hurt anymore; he will just surrender to pleasure with no attachments.This time Taehyung, that ravishing android, built and programmed to satisfy him, is willing to fulfill that human role.But lately, the androids have been malfunctioning, showing human emotions, and becoming sentient.What will Jeongguk do if he falls for a machine?Based on the video game “Detroit: Become human” on PS4.





	1. Introducing Taehyung

Jeongguk would have thought that the man standing at his door had knocked on the wrong apartment, were it not for the fact that the shape displayed in front of his eyes was perfect.

_Fuck, he’s gorgeous._

Beautiful, young, and enticing; so devilishly desirable that the only factual possibility was that this perfection belonged to an android, the android he was waiting for.

But it looked too human.

Jeongguk knew that the latest generation of androids was made up of amazing machines, which were impossible to distinguish from human beings, except for a small circle of light that was stuck to their right temple.

In fact, he had the privilege to work with one of the most remarkable machines he ever met, a police officer assigned to his Department at Detroit Police Headquarters: Connor. A perfect creature; the pinnacle of Artificial Intelligence.

Connor was a machine, so flawlessly designed that it had been able to solve the most difficult crimes. However, its main function was to hunt down androids that deviated from their programmed behaviors.

Thus, Jeongguk was used to this kind of perfection.

Still, the body in front of him was blowing his mind.

He started to feel a little unfit: barefoot and wearing just his black sweatpants and a torn T-shirt, while the android dressed a chic white v-neck T-shirt, brown leather bomber jacket, sexy ripped jeans that shaped its plump butt, and short black military boots. White-gold jewelry adorned its ears and fingers. 

The silky brown hair covered the light circle of its temple, letting some blue-light leak under its locks.

A circle glowing blue light meant the machine was performing its functions normally.

Jeongguk looked inside the dark green eyes of the machine.

_He’s perfect._

“Hi, I’m Jeon Jeongguk.”

“Hello, Jeon Jeongguk. I understand you received CyberLife Corp's communication, indicating I would come by myself.”

“Yes, I did. It'd be _‘closer to human behavior’_, they said. Five o'clock exactly. What’s your name?” He studied the android’s expression, thinking about the improvements he would ask it. It was too polite, he noticed so far.

“You may pick a name of your preference, if you wish to.”

“Hmm I don’t really have anything in mind.” He crossed his arms over his chest; then he rested his lips on his fist, as if he was pondering an idea. “Which would it be if I had none?”

“Taehyung.” The android extended one hand towards him.

“Nice to meet you Taehyung.” Jeongguk's palm thrilled, when he touched that hand. His brain was roaming around the reasons why the android was there for. “Please come inside.” He said, letting it pass, and closed the door. He turned to scan it better.

It was as tall as Jeongguk, similar build, similar age. Fit, beautiful, elegant. Perfect.

The idea of how good it would feel to brush his cock against that perfect ass, crossed Jeongguk’s mind for a second.

_How I want to fuck him already._

_IT! Fuck IT._

Jeongguk reminded himself. How difficult it was to portray Taehyung as a machine. It looked so human that his mind wasn’t able to assimilate that the body in front of him was a _thing_.

“Do you want to take a sit?” 

The apartment was comfortable and elegant. It was a big open space, with a kitchen at its left well equipped, illuminated, and a cozy kitchen isle; a stylish living room at the right, with expensive grey rugs; and a fireplace. The place was framed by the light that entered through the glass walls that surrounded the apartment. The city could be seen from there.

The decoration had been done by Jeongguk’s mother. She left part of her soul inside those crystal walls, and Jeongguk loved it. He had added a few details, after his parents left, but not so many, just those he felt that embodied his personality better.

The apartment had several rooms; Jeongguk’s was his mother’s doing, and the guests' room too.

The third room was Jeongguk’s best achievement, as the interior designer he was not: he had dumped the walls, and transformed it into a music corner, which was visible from the living room. His electric guitar was located on a stand in the middle of the room; his music collection was disposed on shelves built in the wall, along with the sound system; a piano was placed on a side; and cushions and poufs made the area really appealing.

The place was indeed much more expensive than what a police officer could afford, but Jeongguk came from a rich family, and his ever supporting father had wanted to spoil him, and gifted him that huge elegant apartment, in the best side of Detroit city, before leaving to Korea, along with millions in his bank account. This gave him enough stability to live well, keep the job he loved, and hire the expensive services of CyberLife, the corporation that provided the highest quality androids in the world.

Exclusive units, for exclusive clients.

Taehyung took a look at the place with admiration in its eyes.

“Sure we can talk, if you want.” He responded while heading to the couch.

“I mean, I wasn’t expecting you yet, until I received the Company’s message. I think, perhaps we could change some settings?” Jeongguk said.

“Of course. Nonetheless, I can assure you CyberLife has taken into account each and every one of your requirements.” The android sat on the couch.

“I’m very sure they did.” Jeongguk sat on the sofa in front, not missing the little smile of satisfaction that the other's lips displayed, after his last remark.

“So, Taehyung," Jeongguk felt heat coiling in his groin, when he noticed the android was looking straight into his eyes. “Maybe you can tell me what information about me has the Corporation fed you with.”

“Yes. You are Jeon Jeongguk, twenty seven years old; you were born on September 1st, 2011 in the United States; you graduated as top one of your generation, at the Police Academy, and you are one of the youngest most remarkable police officers, serving for Detroit Police Department, assigned to the Homicides Unit. Your parents are Korean, and left back to Busan some years ago. You have one older brother who lives in Europe. You've never been married, and have no children, thus you live alone in this apartment. Is that correct so far, sir?” 

Jeongguk leaned back on the sofa, while he heard with amusement how Taehyung summarized his own life. He was curious about what else it would say. He crossed his arms over his chest: “Accurate. Please, call me Jeongguk. I wish you’d be informal when addressing me.”

“Sure Jeongguk. They also informed me about that, but we always check those details, when we first meet our clients. We need to understand well the appropriated manner to behave. I take account of that then.” 

“Thanks. Continue, please.”

“You like music, and extreme sports; you play the guitar; you like singing, and filming. You’re described as kind and mindful by your colleagues and partners. You’ve never showed animosity or violence towards any android, if anything, you hold us in high esteem, and had promoted and defended our existence, as a complement to humankind.” Taehyung paused, and fixed its eyes on Jeongguk who was returning its look with a smile: “You informed CyberLife that you had unpleasant experiences in your past, regarding... romantic relationships, so you want to detach from any human contact by now.”

Jeongguk turned serious after that last statement, but his look was kind.

“That is the basic data I manage. I’ve got other details, but I believe it’s better to hear that information from you, especially when it comes to the things you like, or prefer; and with regards to your feelings, or past experiences. I believe it’s better to hear them directly from you. That’s what it is asked from my kind.”

In fact, by the year 2038, humankind had been able to develop all kinds of androids, supported by artificial intelligence. Those machines performed hundreds of duties and professions. Most of them were unique units, learning from experience, and evolving in their own ways.

Those ones made to fulfill human roles, such as nannies, family members, sexual workers, or partners, were programmed to act and evolve like a human being would, so their owners might not feel uncomfortable around them. This was limited by their programming, of course, so as to avoid the risks of diverging, as much as possible.

But in the end, this quality became a double-edged sword, when androids began to experience human emotions, deviating, and involving themselves in complicated situations. Androids hurt and killed humans, and humans had also destroyed androids. Some of those humans were defending themselves from the machines’ erratic behaviors, but most of the cases were due to unwarranted abuse towards the machines.

Nonetheless, CyberLife Corp had the lowest rate of deviating units in the world. Their androids were manufactured and programmed one by one, quality-controlled under the strictest policies, even beyond what the law enforced. CyberLife Corp supplied the market for the richest people.

Of course, those were the most expensive too.

Androids like Taehyung were programmed to connect with their owners instinctively. Jeongguk knew that, and he understood why Taehyung wanted to hear his life's details directly from him.

“Yeah. I’ll tell you about that later.”

He didn’t mind talking about his feelings with a machine, but he wasn’t in the mood to do it at the moment. He didn’t want to recall his bitter experiences; he didn’t want to feel heartbroken again.

And Taehyung was too hot to waste time on that, and it was there: all beautiful, perfect, and unattached.

“As you wish, Jeongguk. CyberLife also instructed that you prefer me not living with you, but to be available at your best convenience.” 

“Yes, that’s correct. At least at first.”

“And mostly for sexual services.” The android remarked.

“That’s right too. But please, don’t call it services, it makes me feel ... unkind.” Jeongguk scratched his arm with a shy expression.

“I apologize.” 

“It’s okay. If you feel like asking something, please, do it at will.”

“Thanks. Actually, I wanted to ask you if you… like what you see.” The android showed an unperturbed expression.

Jeongguk beamed:

“I love what I see, very much. You’re stunning.”

Taehyung smiled.

Jeongguk felt clear traces of arousal coming from his body, and pooling together in his groin, when he saw how Taehyung smiled, and nibbled its lower lip, in response to his compliment.

He stood up, never withdrawing his gaze from the other, and crossed to the couch. He squatted, supporting on his knee, and traced its face with his fingers, as if he wanted to learn its features.

Like a blind man touching someone to envision the shape in front of him.

“You’re gorgeous.” He caressed its lips; his fingertips were itching to touch better under the clothes. 

Taehyung gaped, and its eyes got glossy. It tugged Jeongguk's shirt with its hands, its expression was of excitement already, and its chest was moving up and down visibly.

Yes, androids had synthetic hearts and lungs, and these responded to their inner state and thoughts. They also sweated, smelled, and produced body fluids, depending on their purpose.

Saliva, blood, tears, semen.

Jeongguk thought about that, how Taehyung would taste.

_His lips, his cock, his cum._

_Fuck: IT. IT, damn!_

Will he ever get used to seeing Taehyung as an android?

He slid his index inside its mouth, and his loose cock pulsed in his pants, when he felt his fingertip getting wet.

Hot and inpatient, he swung closer, and brushed their lips together. Taehyung tugged his locks at the back of his neck, and kissed him deeper.

Jeongguk noticed how the arousal rushed in the android’s body: its chest was heaving, its lips were getting warmer, its tongue penetrated his own mouth. He moved his hand to feel Taehyung's cock; his own cock got hard, when he reckoned its length.

_Big._

He couldn’t recollect the last time he got this excited this fast. Even though he didn’t want to rush, he wanted to get to the point soon, and Taehyung, fuck! It was so sensitive, already responding to every stimulus.

And Taehyung was an android; a fucking gorgeous, hot, and willing one.

And he could do whatever he wanted with this droid, and he was getting so fucking excited at the thought of that, and at the feeling of the length under the fabric, and the taste of spit in his mouth, imagining those wet lips around his own cock, and its tongue sucking it.

Jeongguk stopped to breathe, and noticed the other's swollen lips. He stood up, and Taehyung followed. He moved closer, and squeezed its ass with both hands, while he kissed it. He undid the belt and unzipped the jeans, and slid his hand inside the underwear. He wrapped Taehyung's cock, hot and wet, and thumbed the head, moaning when he felt precum sliding down the skin.

He kissed it eagerly, and felt its hands crawling under his shirt, while the cock trapped in his own fist was pulsing.

“I want to fuck you.” He brushed his lips against the other. “Do we need lube?”

He knew droids could feel physical pain, same as humans, as a way to alert about injuries or malfunctioning, but he wasn’t sure about this particular case.

He only had sex once with an android, years before, when he was trying to forget the dreadful outcome of his first serious relationship, and he was drunk that day. He asked the android about it, but he didn’t remember the exact answer it gave him at that moment. All he could recall was that they fucked each other four times in different positions, and that he came hard, because the android was willing to give him anything he wanted.

The thought of Taehyung giving him anything he wanted was driving him mad now.

But in fact, Jeongguk also felt he could give the android whatever it asked of him too.

Hell yeah! Taehyung would have him on his knees, just with a snap of its fingers.

Jeongguk thumbed the pink lips with his free hand, waiting for the answer.

“I will do what you want, but I prefer lube. I feel pain.”

“Sure, I don’t want to hurt you. Wait here, please.”

He motioned, heading to his bedroom, but Taehyung stopped him by grabbing his arm. He smiled widely, when he saw the android pulling a little bottle of lube out of its pocket, and handing it to him.

Taehyung took off its jacket, and placed it carefully on the couch’s arm.

Jeongguk caressed the skin of its arm: it was soft, and so much human. He pulled it closer, and tossed the bottle on the couch.

He took off its shirt, feeling his own body heated, and run his fingers down the bare chest. He leaned on, and kissed it again, fisting locks at the back of its neck.

Taehyung put its hands in Jeongguk’s pants, grazing his ass, at the time it asked him, with wet hungry eyes, whispering words over his lips:

“Permission to speak and move at will.”

“Fuck! Taehyung, yes! Please, do what you want.”

At the command, the android wrapped its hand around Jeongguk's cock, and pulled him by the neck to kiss him. It took off his shirt, and tossed it on the floor, its hands roamed over his chest. It moved around, and held him from behind, while it placed hot little kisses on the back of his neck, and run its palms over his perfectly shaped abs.

Taehyung gripped his locks firmly at the top of his head, and sneaked one hand inside his pants to jerk his cock, while it brushed its own length against his ass. Then it knelt at the time it slid his pants down, undressing him. Jeongguk’s full hard cock, wet with precum, bounced in the air. The android licked the head, and suck it all in its mouth.

Jeongguk moaned, the plush lips around his cock felt like heaven. He looked down at Taehyung: its eyes were shut, and long curled silky lashes adorned them. He grabbed its hair, and pushed, reaching deeper in its throat, noticing how little tears formed in the inside corners of its eyes.

“Damn, you’re so beautiful.” Jeongguk couldn’t contain the praise.

Taehyung drew back, and opened its teary red eyes: 

“Fuck my mouth.”

Jeongguk lost his mind.

He fucked its mouth, penetrating until his cock touched the back of the throat. His heart was pumping so strong; his excitation was rising to madness.

When he was at the edge of his orgasm, Taehyung released him, and stood up. It kissed him passionately, running its hands all over his body.

“Fuck me.”

Taehyung sighed over his lips, its voice was deep and irresistible. It kissed, and touched him desperately. It picked the bottle of lube from the couch, and let Jeongguk lead them to the kitchen isle.

Jeongguk slid down the other's jeans and underwear to knee level, and remained still, watching its cock, big and wet. He couldn’t contain himself from running his fingers on it. He wetted them on precum, and sucked his fingertips, while he looked into the android’s craving eyes. It observed his actions, with his mouth agape.

Taehyung pulled him in, and kissed him again. Jeongguk stole the lube from its hand, never breaking the kiss, and soaked his fingers. He introduced one finger inside, and Taehyung broke the kiss, breathing deeply over his mouth.

Jeongguk was dying to feel his cock penetrating the other, but he really needed to feel the flesh of its hole in his fingers right now. Taehyung pushed back, forcing him to reach deeper.

“Please, another. Now.” The android begged with a trace of hot breath, and took him by the neck with both hands.

Jeongguk caged it between his legs, and brushed his cock against its skin, at the same time he inserted a second finger. He started moving his fingers in circles. 

Taehyung’s body shivered unwillingly, every time the fingers touched and squeezed its prostate.

It made sweet beautiful noises, its voice was velvety, its sweat was glittering over his temples, and its hole felt soft. Jeongguk observed its face, it was stunning and wasted. This was so much, and made him feel on the edge of craziness.

He removed his fingers, making Taehyung whine. He turned it, and bent it over the isle, pressing his right hand on its neck to keep it steady.

He aligned his cock with the other's hole, teasing there. He rubbed it slowly, circling around the hole, and driving both of them mad at the anticipation of penetration, until he heard the words he was craving for:

“Oh, God! Please, fuck me now!”

Taehyung pleaded, tightening its hands on the edge of the counter, knuckles all white.

Jeongguk waited a couple of seconds. He observed the body bent over there: the wet hole, the damp locks, the sweated skin of the back. He watched his cock ready to fuck that sweet pretty ass; he poured lube on it and pushed.

He kept still, breathing deeply, caressing Taehyung’s rim, and waiting for it to adjust to his size. The android pushed its ass back, and said:

“Fuck me hard. Don’t stop until you’re satisfied.”

_Fuck._

Jeongguk’s heart pumped strong in his chest. He took Taehyung by the hips with both hands, and penetrated him until he felt his cock touching the bottom, and pulled it out, until only the head was kept inside. He fucked it hard, over and over.

He thought, maybe he was too harsh, but Taehyung pressed its ass back with force, clenching its hole around his cock; its knuckles were white, with the force that its hands gripped the edge of the counter; it was moaning, madly excited, and pleading: _fuck me. Don’t stop_.

Jeongguk's hands sweated, his nails were unintentionally carving Taehyung’s skin to redness. With one last trace of consciousness, he took Taehyung's cock, and jerked it, matching his own movements.

He fucked Taehyung, until he felt its body was trembling under his touch, and cum soaked his hand.

His own movements turned erratic, a wave of electricity ran under his skin, and pleasure filled his body, as he came, buried inside of Taehyung.

His vision blurred, all was fading to black, he closed his eyes, so as not to faint, and he collapsed over the other’s back. He was blissfully wasted.

Minutes passed, but Jeongguk lacked the strength to move.

He pressed his ear on Taehyung’s back to hear its heartbeat. He caressed its chest with one hand, and twisted the locks at the back of its neck with the other. He sensed how the body under him was soothing and relaxing, yet not attempting to stand up.

When he felt lucid enough, he stood up, and took his cock out gently, caressing the marked skin, with a smirk on his lips.

He helped Taehyung to stand up and turn. His chest tightened when he saw its face, beautiful and wrecked. Its hair was wet and messy, traces of tears and make up lingered in its eyes and cheeks, its lips were red, and satisfaction was drawn on its face.

Taehyung smiled, and held him by the waist; its green eyes sparkled. 

“I feel tired. Come to the couch.” It said, and led Jeongguk backwards clumsily, almost stumbling on its jeans that were tangled around its ankles.

They laughed whilst attempting to reach their target.

When they were next to the couch, Taehyung pushed them with too much strength, and they fell on the furniture. Laughing and complaining, a half dressed Taehyung sprawled over Jeongguk’s naked body.

All was a mess: clothes were everywhere; cum stained the floor and the couch, and started to dry on their bodies; the bottle of lube was leaking its content on the rug.

Jeongguk couldn’t recall the last time he felt this good and satisfied.

He fell asleep, feeling Taehyung’s hair between his fingers, and its warm body over him.

~~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author’s note:  
While washing my hands in the bathroom I suddenly noticed a tiny little spot in the middle of the mirror. I thought it was just an imperfection on the old surface, but something captured my attention. Focusing better, I saw it moved… to one side and then the other, similar as when you see a satellite in the sky at night, a spot of light moving among the stars.  
I extended my index finger towards that little spot and the moment I touched it, it spread until the whole mirror turned into a gleaming blue liquid metal surface.  
I was stuck to the bathroom’s floor. I couldn’t move. My fingertip still fixed to the mirror.  
Slowly, the surface became clear and there I saw Jeongguk’s image at the other side. He was in Detroit, the Detroit of this Fic's Alternative Universe. He was in his bathroom, dressed in pajamas, washing his teeth. I could see his gun and badge left on his bed through the open door of the bathroom that led to his bedroom.  
My finger that touched the mirror was pointing exactly to the middle of his chest, at the heart level.  
He finished with his teeth and dried his hands and mouth. Then looking straight into my eyes he said: 
> 
> “Please, don’t refer to him as "it" anymore. He’s much more than that”
> 
> At the moment he spoke that last word, my whole bathroom started spinning around me, the gleaming blue liquid metal mixing with this reality. My brain felt heavy inside my head and I fainted.  
When I woke up again, I was standing in front of the mirror, my index finger pointing something in the middle of it. The only image reflecting was mine.
> 
> So, my lovely readers: I’m not allowed to call him "it" anymore. 
> 
> Thank you so much for reading  
Purple you <3
> 
> Yell at me on twitter.com/SxieKookie  
  
Published: 2019-10-31


	2. Inner Skills

_‘Today is Friday, November 26, 2038.’_

The thought rushed inside Jeongguk’s head, when he opened his eyes that night.

_‘I’m fixing this date. Why?’_

He often did that: categorized important information in his brain methodically, highlighting significant events, and setting dates to fix them in his memory.

He focused on the dim light coming through the glass walls, and felt the warm body next to him.

_Taehyung._

Yes, it was November 26, 2038, the day after Thanksgiving, and Jeongguk had met Taehyung some hours before.

He caressed the android's head, and traced the light circle with his fingers, while he weighed how comfortable he felt, lying naked with that boy, although he wasn't human.

Taehyung lifted his head, and looked at him.

“I want to do it again.” Jeongguk spoke, narrowing his eyes, while he thumbed the other's lips. He was surprised of how those words just left his mouth with no warning.

Taehyung had taken off his shoes and all of his clothes. His leg rested over Jeongguk, and his knee pressed his cock slightly; he traced circles with his fingers on his groin, and his hair unintentionally tickled Jeongguk's face.

“You’re horny.” Taehyung smiled.

“Hmm yeah... save that.”

Jeongguk fucked Taehyung again on the couch; he was dizzy and out of breath when he came. He grabbed Taehyung by the neck to kiss him, at the time he was spilling inside of him; he just felt the urge to connect their lips together.

But his arousal didn’t fade away at all.

Taehyung drank some water, letting a tiny little drop slide down his lower lip and neck, and that was enough encouragement for Jeongguk: he kissed him; he just wanted to feel his lips, but he ended up on his knees, sucking his cock with such passion, as if he wanted to eat him alive.

“Let’s shower." Jeongguk said after that. “We can speak about those settings.”

He walked to the electric fireplace, and turned the heat on. It had been snowing that morning, and the night was cold. 

Taehyung stood up, and headed to the music corner. “I like your guitar. It has its own character.” He traced the guitar’s rim with his fingers, admiring its supremacy.

“It’s a masterpie… what?”

Taehyung stopped abruptly, thinning his eyes so as to read the letters engraved in the middle part of the guitar. Almost hidden to the eye, the writing was mixed with the black background, and only the touch of the fingers could reveal their shape: _伊波吉伸_

“Yoshinobu Iha.”

He read the letters, stunned and with his mouth agape.

“Yeah.” Jeongguk palmed his hair back, and scratched his neck. “My father gave it to me on my eighteenth birthday, when I became a legal citizen of Michigan.” He tilted his head to the side. “You know who he is?”

Taehyung wasn't able to take his eyes off the guitar, yet.

“I do. I’m from Chicago." He looked at Jeongguk, and frowned, when he acknowledged the other needed further explanation. “I'm programmed to match your interests: music, sports, art, filming." He turned to admire the guitar again. “And I was born in Chicago, according to my background code.”

“Can you play?” Jeongguk rested his hands on his hips.

“Sure. Not like him of course. Neither as you do, as far as I understand.” Taehyung walked towards Jeongguk slowly. “Have you met him?” He asked, signaling the guitar.

“Yes. That was my twenty first birthday present.” Jeongguk giggled. “He still plays incredible, even though he must be around seventy now.”

“Mmm… would you play for me?” Taehyung was approaching him with a flirtatious attitude.

Jeongguk showed a pleased smile, and crossed his arms over his chest: “Not now.”

“Why?” Taehyung was now a breath apart.

Jeongguk took Taehyung by the chin, and whispered on his lips: “Because I’m naked.” He kissed him. “Come to the shower, and tell me more about Chicago.”

~~

Jeongguk rested naked over the gray cotton sheets, facing the ceiling. He tossed the covers to the floor, in an attempt to cope with the heat of his body, after that shower he took with Taehyung. The android admired a painting on the wall.

Jeongguk’s bedroom was big and stylish. _‘Youth-decorated’_ his mother would’ve said. She and Jeongguk picked the ornaments; Jeongguk added that painting later: Salvador Dali’s _'__Swans reflecting elephants'_.

That piece of art was his favorite. Its majestic darkness helped him to fall asleep, especially after long days.

Taehyung walked to the bed, and tumbled on his belly. He slid his arms under the pillow, and rested his cheek there.

“I like Dali, but Van Gogh is my favorite.” He extended his hand to swift some locks from Jeongguk’s forehead.

“Hmm. Is that in your programming, or you can decide what to like and what not to?” Jeongguk palmed the android’s naked butt, and kept his hand there, feeling the smoothness of the skin on his fingertips.

“I choose from a bunch of information. A huge bunch of information. But, ultimately, everything is subject to my programming, you know?”

“Mmm, yeah I get that. You can’t escape from that unless… you diverge.” Jeongguk peeked at the blue circle in Taehyung’s temple.

“Uh huh. So, do you want to hear the Chicago story? 'Cos I can pick another if you wish.”

Jeongguk just hummed.

“You didn’t request anything specific about that to CyberLife.” 

“I did not.” Jeongguk turned facing Taehyung. “You choose.”

“Okay. The Chicago story then: my parents came to live to America, after they got married, thirty years ago. My grandparents, on my mom’s side, followed them. They came to Boston first. My grandparents stayed there, but mom and dad moved to Chicago, in search of better job opportunities. I was born in Chicago, then my brother and sister were born. We were a happy family, most of the time. We attended school, had friends…” Taehyung rose, supporting on his forearms.

Jeongguk felt a bit skeptical. He pictured the story in his mind, but furtive thoughts betrayed him, reminding him that Taehyung was an android, and that all he was saying was the result of a programmed memory.

Nonetheless, he was captured by his words, and the conviction with which he spoke.

“But things got pretty difficult for my parents. My dad, he started to work for Exelon, the energy provider. It was a nice company, but trashy with their lowest rank workers, especially at the power plants. He knew that company like the back of his hand, and wanted to be promoted, so he began studying engineering at night. But, it was difficult to make ends meet with three children, a wife, and a tuition.”

He paused some moments. Next he added with a sad expression, which captured Jeongguk's attention:

“Things got messy… bad actually, between mom and dad. So, when I had to choose what to do with my life, I decided to go to College in Boston, and live with my grandparents. So, I applied to MIT.” He looked at Jeongguk with a smirk: “I’m pretty clever, in case you’re wondering.”

“What did you study?” Jeongguk was engrossed in the conversation.

“Biological Engineering.” The other declared proudly, and laughed after he said: “It sounds so boring.”

“It really does.” Jeongguk laughed too. “What about your brother and sister? Did they stay in Chicago?”

“My sister, Eun Jin, still lives there. Jeon Gyu went to live in Daegu with my family on my mom's side, a few years ago.”

Jeongguk pressed his lips in a line, then he spoke cautiously: “What about… your story?”

“What do you mean?”

“Taehyung? The android's story?” Jeongguk settled on the bed, resting his cheek on his palm.

“What do you want to know?”

“I don’t know. Mmm… am I your first lover?”

“Ah! That. CyberLife made me for you, according to your specifications; therefore, I never had anyone. But if that wasn’t the case, I wouldn’t know. Androids are formatted.” Taehyung caressed Jeongguk’s face gently.

“What’s the first thing you remember, then?”

Squinting his eyes, and focusing somewhere in infinity, as if remembering his past, Taehyung answered: “Hazy memories of my childhood in Chicago. My mom maybe.”

“I see.” Jeongguk reached out, and grabbed him by the hip.

Embedding memories in the brain of androids was quite common, especially among those units that needed to connect emotionally with humans, such as androids created to replace a dead relative in the family.

Other androids didn’t need memories implanted to perform their functions, such as workers and domestic droids. These collected their own memories, from the moment they were switched on.

Jeongguk thought it was okay for Taehyung to want to stick with that past. He had no memories of his own, and he certainly needed a background, to help him shape his character, and define his identity. Taehyung was a lot like a human being, and it felt so unfair to deprive him of such a small grace.

But the android was right: Jeongguk hadn’t asked for anything specific.

Jeongguk slid his hand, tracing Taehyung’s naked back with his fingertips. He reached his head, and twisted his locks between his fingers. Taehyung shivered and smiled, closing his eyes. He was so sensitive.

_So beautiful._

Jeongguk pecked kisses on the other's nose and lips. His cock hardened at the feeling of Taehyung’s length, when the android took him, and placed him over his bare body.

Jeongguk bit the android's mouth, and secured him between his thighs, taking advantage of the position. He caressed his chest, abs, and groin, and wrapped his hand around his cock. His heart was racing; his own cock was painfully hard, brushing against Taehyung’s skin. 

_What is this reaction that I cannot contain?_

He felt an irresistible urge to respond to Taehyung’s actions, the same feeling he had been experiencing all night. An unstoppable desire to satisfy him.

Was Taehyung the android? Or was it Jeongguk?

He was all fierce, and drooling for the other’s cock, as if _he_ was the one made to fulfill Taehyung’s desires.

Taehyung spun Jeongguk around, pushed him against the mattress, and caged him between his legs and arms. He painfully tugged at his hair on the top of his head, and began jerking his cock. He kissed him, roughly brushing his skin, and biting his lips until they bled. 

Jeongguk grew increasingly excited by this behavior. He went crazy as Taehyung licked his abs and groin, and when he felt his breath over his hard cock. He wanted more. 

He spread his legs, forcing Taehyung to kneel between them, and pushed his head down with both hands, demanding that he suck his cock. Taehyung dragged the entire length into his throat, nearly choking. He scratched Jeongguk's skin with his nails, as he grabbed him by the hips, encouraging him to push deeper.

Jeongguk was lost in his own sensations. He demanded_: _‘Yes, suck it! Suck my cock.’, pushing his hips up. He lost his senses when he saw Taehyung crying and choking on his cock.

But, it seemed like Taehyung didn’t want to please this time. He released Jeongguk’s cock, and got between his cheeks. He pressed his tongue, deep and wet, around and into his hole, teasing there, as if he wanted to provoke him. Next, he sat on his knees again, and pumped his full hard cock right against the other’s entrance, spreading his precum over his hole. Jeongguk raised his head to look at him, panting and groaning with excitement.

“Oh God, fuck me.” Jeongguk pleaded. The sight of Taehyung pumping his own cock and almost touching his hole, and the wet sounds that matched the rhythm, were driving him crazy.

Taehyung pressed the head of his cock against Jeongguk’s hole; he took him by the neck and bit his lip, until Jeongguk felt the salty taste of his own blood inside his mouth.

Moaning and whimpering, Jeongguk grabbed Taehyung's cock, and stroked it up and down against his hole, feeling the other chill, as he began to move it in circles, begging unashamedly: "Please, please, fuck me."

Jeongguk widened his eyes, and cried out of pain and pleasure, tears drenched his eyes, the moment he felt the hard cock inside him. Taehyung stopped abruptly:

“Shit, I’m sorry! I… I’m so sorry. I wasn’t thinking. We need lube." He spoke, his eyes wide as he had just woken up from a trance.

Jeongguk took a deep breath, intending to control himself. His voice trembled: “It’s fine. It's in the nightstand.”

_ Shit. _

He didn’t even think about lube, until he felt the painful pressure of Taehyung’s cock entering his hole. He would have done it that way, anyway.

He lay there with his eyes closed, feeling these sensations, this willingness to do what the other wanted him to do. This reckless behavior that he never allowed himself to show before, in front of anyone.

_ Was it because Taehyung was a droid? _

He really didn’t want to overthink. All he knew was that his cock was painfully stretched, and he was desperate to have Taehyung inside him.

When he opened his eyes, Taehyung had already soaked his cock in lube, and was kneeling on the bed. The android lifted his legs again, and placed them on his right shoulder, wrapping his thighs to keep him still, while he penetrated him slowly. 

“I want it all.” Jeongguk moaned.

Taehyung thrust his entire cock inside, reaching the bottom. He fucked Jeongguk so hard, that the boy slid onto the mattress, hitting his head against the headboard.

But Jeongguk was still begging for more, holding on tightly to the sheets with his fingers and nails. 

“Harder.”

He commanded, his expression ecstatic, his eyes wide, searching for infinity somewhere on the ceiling. He whimpered the moment the android pulled out his cock.

Taehyung lifted him up, and forced him to kneel down facing the wall. He knelt behind him, and pulled him into his body, roughly, making him sit on his lap, as he penetrated him with force.

“Yes!” Jeongguk cried out, and reached his arms back to grab him by the hips, clenching his muscles around the android's cock. “Yes! Right there! Fuck me, right there.”

Taehyung fucked him desperately from behind. He pulled him back by the hair painfully, as he pressed his abs tightly, pinning him down to fuck him firmly. He whispered in his ear, madly excited and almost out of breath:

“Is this what you want? You want me to break you? You’re so fucking needy for my cock?”

“Yes!” Jeongguk put Taehyung's hand around his cock, and secured it with his palms around it. “I want it.”

“Fuck, Jeongguk… you're so tight! You’re so fucking tight.” 

Taehyung told him, while wanking his cock, at a same steady pace he was fucking him. 

Jeongguk moaned, his head tilted back on the other's shoulder; he let his arms fall to either side of his body, eyes closed; he surrendered and sighed:

“I’m gonna cum.”

He felt Taehyung's thrusts growing harder, and a painful bite on his neck, as the android sucked on his skin until it turned red. His cock throbbed painfully in Taehyung's hand, his body trembling as he felt pleasure filling him inside. He came, feeling the heat rise to his head. He opened his eyes, but his vision blurred, and Taehyung pushed even harder, erratically, many times, until he reached his own climax.

Jeongguk closed his eyes, exhausted, feeling Taehyung's heart pounding against his back, there where their skins met. The android tried to calm his breathing, pressing his lips against Jeongguk's shoulder.

They were quiet and still, for a few minutes.

Taehyung shifted Jeongguk’s hairs from his forehead, and kissed him on the cheek, nuzzling the back of his neck. He gently lifted him up, and removed his cock, then pulled him back into his body, holding him from behind, drawing circles on his chest and abs with his fingers, and kissing his ear, as he waited patiently for him to recover.

“You’re perfect.” Taehyung whispered.

Jeongguk sat up dizzy, his eyes still clouded.

“Come. I’ll clean you.”

There was no response, so Taehyung carefully moved Jeongguk to stand next to the bed, managing to hold him steady.

“Come.” He repeated, and led him to the bathroom.

~~

Later that night, Jeongguk sat on the couch next to Taehyung, and handed him a glass of water. He touched the blue circle on his temple, as he drank from his own glass. Taehyung smiled:

“I’m fine. I’m not deviant, I just like sex.”

This confession made Jeongguk laugh.

The light circles were implanted to all the androids. The machines were so flawlessly manufactured that these circles were the only means of recognizing, with the naked eye, that they were not human.

The circle glowed blue if all was well with the android’s brain, and yellow when they were processing specific information. The light would turn red if the android began getting emotional, diverging from their programming, and deviating.

Jeongguk focused on the fire, thinking about the fact that Taehyung’s circle had been blue the entire time. The android brought him out of his thoughts:

“Jeongguk?”

“Mmm?”

Taehyung nibbled his lower lip, running his finger along the rim of his glass.

“I really think we need to set some limits. I'll do what you ask, but I need to know when you feel uncomfortable, and when to stop.”

“You’re taking of what happened.”

“Yes. I can’t hurt you, and you were in pain.” 

Jeongguk beamed showing his white bunny teeth, and then bit his lower lip. He took a sip of water.

Raising an eyebrow, Taehyung smirked: “Yeah, okay. I've already saved how fearless you are, but I want to be careful in the future, as much as you want. So, maybe we might set a keyword?”

“Mmm, that’ll be fun.” 

Taehyung shook his head, smiling at Jeongguk's reaction.

“What about… ‘DEFCON 1’?” Jeongguk proposed with a serious expression.

Taehyung kept there intending not to laugh, pressing his lips together, until he could no longer contain his giggles. Jeongguk laughed with him.

“Yeah, okay. That will work. DEFCON 1 will be then.” 

“You’re really, _really _ good.” Jeongguk smiled. “You can proceed then with whatever you want, and if it’s too much, I’ll command you with the code.”

“Thank you. I think it’ll be safer.” 

“What about me doing whatever I want with you?” Jeongguk asked, leaning forward, and resting his forearms on his thighs.

“You can do what you want.”

“But, what if you don’t like it, or want it?” 

“Mmm, that’s not possible.” Taehyung pulled a few locks behind Jeongguk's ear.

“Okay. Let’s say you want to do something else. Can we set a keyword too?”

“Sure! If you want. Maybe, I can ask you if I can make a suggestion?”

Jeongguk broke out laughing: “Ah! Taehyung! You’re so fucking polite.” He put his empty glass on the center table. “But actually, that’ll be fun too. You can suggest while fucking.”

Jeongguk leaned back on the sofa with his eyes closed. He was so fucking exhausted. He realized that it was almost two in the morning, and they had been fucking since five in the afternoon.

Taehyung stroked his hair, and asked:

“Do you want to sleep? I can stay until you fall asleep, if you want.”

“Yeah, that’d be great.” 

Jeongguk lay down on his side along the sofa. He was wearing only his boxers. Taehyung, already dressed to leave and barefoot, leaned back behind him:

“When do you want to see me again?”

The android was quick to ask, when he noticed that Jeongguk was going to fall asleep.

“I think Monday night is a good time. I always come home exhausted on Mondays. It’ll be good if you join me.” Jeongguk said with conviction.

It was Saturday, November 27, and Jeongguk thought it would be nice to spend the rest of his weekend off alone.

Snuggled into Taehyung’s arms, he fell asleep.

~~

The unrequited taste of bitterness filled Jeongguk’s stomach that morning, the moment he laid eyes on the corpse lying on Evergreen Road.

Holding his coffee in his trembling hand, he was trying to organize the dissimilar amount of thoughts that rudely invaded his mind, into something logical, to stop feeling that anguish of conflicting emotions.

First and foremost: the stark reality of a murdered human being brutally portrayed in front of his eyes, like a fresh painting in a gallery, causing his gut to twist inside of him, and squeezing his liver to drain the bile in his veins.

It was a young man, lying on his stomach; his blood stained the thin snow; his mouth was opened as if asking for a drop of water; his blue eyes were crying red tears, and his horrified gaze was fixed somewhere in space.

It was clear that the poor man had died on the spot, after crawling a couple of meters, where the snow was now pressed and drawn in red, like a path to a fatal destination.

It was also almost clear that the executor was an android, because the whole scene was a mess: footprints and blood spilled everywhere. The unmistakable evidence of a neglected crime, so typical of the deviant behaviors of androids. They never premeditated. They just killed, blinded by the force of their emotions, and then, they just ran away.

How was it possible that these machines were developing such intense feelings? What could trigger something like this inside a droid’s synthetic brain?

A hollow existence without a soul.

Jeongguk’s coffee was making little waves; he realized his hand was still shaking.

He thought of Taehyung. He was also an android, and this was his second line of thinking.

_ Taehyung: so beautiful, soft and strong at the same time. _

Jeongguk could still feel heat in his crotch, when he thought of him and the things they had done, even if his eyes were now glued to the horrible scene that was displayed in front of him.

He turned his back on the corpse, closing his eyes to better focus on the events of the night before, which flooded his mind with images and his heart with emotions that he did not want to fully grasp, but was not willing to release either. Not yet.

It was his skin: delicate and smooth; he could almost feel it again brushing his fingertips.

Or his silky hair that had delicately tickled his face, the moment the android was on top of him, bending down to lick his lips.

Or perhaps it was the perfect shape of that butt, or the pretty sounds he made when he reached his orgasm, or the fact that they had sex all night.

Jeongguk had woken up at dawn, and the first thing he noticed was that his apartment was neat: no lube or cum stains, all the furniture and items were in order.

A full glass of water had been placed on the center table, along with a note showing Taehyung’s phone number. Jeongguk realized he had been covered with a blanket, and that Taehyung was already gone.

He stretched all his limbs, relaxing then, and thinking about how the droid had taken care of those details. But his pleasant feeling disappeared, and his weekend off became a distant aspiration, when he received a call from the Central Unit asking him to attend a crime scene ASAP.

So there he was, accompanied by a coffee and a huge hangover.

Now he wasn’t sure if the trembling in his hand was the expression of his internal rejection of the scene he was witnessing, or the consequences of trading his sleep hours for a night of heavenly sex. He took a deep breath, feeling the cold morning breeze waking his face and scratching his aching neck, there where Taehyung had marked him. He opened his eyes, and saw Connor on the other side of the road, getting out of his car, and walking towards him.

“Good morning Jeongguk. Sorry we jeopardized your weekend.” Connor spoke, as he approached.

Jeongguk took a sip of coffee, and sighed: “At least, the morning air feels nice.”

“Hey, are you okay? You look pale.” Connor noticed Jeongguk was turning his back on the corpse.

Jeongguk was without a doubt the best at his job. He was cold and accurate when it came to analyzing a crime scene, and his hand never wavered when he needed to pull a trigger, under certain circumstances. Yet, he had this sensitivity, empathy for the victims, whether they were humans or androids. He was affected by them, by death and pain. However, this never interfered with his duties.

Connor was aware of that, that's why he asked about Jeongguk’s mood. The android was also aware of his sharpness and skill. Therefore, he always requested to work with Jeongguk, when a human being was involved in the crimes he had to solve.

Connor’s work spectrum was droids, while Jeongguk’s were human. When these two got mixed up, Connor knew he had to call in the highest qualified man the standards of such a job required.

“Just a hangover.” Jeongguk took another sip of his coffee, feeling calmer in Connor’s presence. “Have you already scanned it?”

“No, I went to the Country Club first. Someone reported a deviant in Birmingham. There are two units working there right now.”

“Well, that’s close. It could be the perpetrator.”

Connor crouched beside the body, already analyzing thousands of data within his brain, as he tried to identify the face in front of him. He took one of the hands to look at the fingerprints. Jeongguk was standing next to him.

“Foster, Clark. American; Single; Entrepreneur; Millionaire. Thirty one years old.”

Not all androids were equipped like Connor, this characteristic depended on the purposes of the android. Most of them could scan other androids, and access information, such as model, make, property, current status, and performance. Models like Taehyung had these basic skills.

Some androids had access to additional data, such as history of divergent behavior, for example, those who worked with the police.

Very specific androids were able to scan humans, considering the potential threat they posed, and among them, only a few were able to access the entire human database.

Connor belonged to the latter category.

“He brought an android six months ago from CyberLife, named Eleanor. I need to access the Central Computer to get more information on that.” Connor stood to better examine the body, for the injuries that had caused the man’s death.

“CyberLife?” Jeongguk looked at him skeptically.

“Yes. The request was made to acquire a female that CyberLife delivered in a week.”

Connor looked in every direction of the road and both ways. He already had all the data he needed to process and reconstruct the crime scene inside his brain.

“He applied for a special license in the County. He was going to marry her.” Connor was watching the path that led to the Country Club.

“She killed him?” Jeongguk asked with an aggravated expression.

Connor looked at him: “I can’t be sure. The wounds were perpetrated by a heavier individual, considering the average weight of CyberLife female androids. But I need to look up the core data to conclude. We must look for two droids then, or a droid and a human. But, considering the evidence, there’s a high probability it was a droid. Nighty point six percent.” 

_ There must be something we’re missing. _Jeongguk sighed.

He started walking down the road to where a policeman was surveying the area, near the holographic tape barrier. That was probably where the man was stabbed, Jeongguk deduced, noting the amount and arrangement of the bloodstains. He turned, and walked to the opposite side along a line of brush that fenced off the road.

A few meters away, something caught his attention: a part where the bushes were crushed, and several branches broke. He moved closer, and parted the bushes to get a better look, finding abundant traces of a dark blue fluid: blue blood.

"Connor, come here!" Jeongguk yelled.

Blue blood was the name given to a main component of all androids. It was a liquid that circulated within the bodies of androids, similar to the human circulatory system, that allowed energy and electrical pulses, information, and biocomponents to travel through the droids' bodies.

Some models, such as those made to live alongside humans, also included a basic synthetic red blood system, just below the surface of the skin. This was not necessary for their operation, it was only done, so that they could appear more human. So, the androids bled red if a superficial injury occurred, but such injuries did not affect the functions of the machines.

Red blood meant no harm, while blue blood meant the android needed technical assistance.

Connor was almost reaching the spot, when Jeongguk noticed movement on the other side of the bushes, and heard the cracking of branches.

He jumped quickly over the bushes, almost tripping, flinging his coffee somewhere, and pulling his gun out. He scrambled to catch what appeared to be a male droid that clumsily tried to escape, spilling blue liquid onto the snow, and limping in the direction of a dense forest, located many meters away.

Connor followed quickly.

The droid wore a black cap and clothing so baggy, that it tripped over its pants, and fell into the middle of the clearing.

"Do not move!"

Jeongguk yelled, arriving at the scene, and facing the android, pointing his weapon threateningly at it. Connor arrived immediately.

"I didn't do it! I didn't do it! Please, I swear!"

Jeongguk was surprised to see the android pleading in front of him: its face was beautiful.

From this proximity, it seemed tiny, its body seemed to float inside the oversized hoodie; its perfect face was stained with dirt, tears, and blood; its brown eyes were puffy and terrified. Jeongguk was dumbfounded when he heard Connor speak:

"Eleanor." Connor removed the cap from the droid's head, and beautiful long blond hair swayed over her shoulders.

Eleanor covered her face with both palms, and began to cry uncontrollably. Her circle of light was completely red.

"I love him, I love him." She repeated, over and over, weeping.

Jeongguk lowered his weapon, feeling his chest tighten.

Connor crouched next to Eleanor, and reached for her abdomen, damping his hand with blue blood:

“You’re badly wounded Eleanor, but your functions are not compromised.”

He then spoke to Jeongguk: “I contacted Agent Chandler to request transportation, for an injured android.”

Sitting next to Eleanor, he kindly asked her: “Show me what happened.” He lifted Eleanor’s right sleeve, and placed his hand on her forearm to connect with her data.

Androids could record everything within their visual range, and could share those images at will.

“The transport will be here soon, and you’ll be safe.” He said, as he accessed the information.

“It was Markus.” Eleanor spoke, while Connor nodded his head at her words. “He is the domestic android of Mr. Manfred, our neighbor. We used to talk. He was kind to me since I arrived, but then he started to follow me everywhere, and stalk me.” The tears ran down Eleanor’s cheeks. “I swear I only want Clark! We were going to get married.” She covered her face with her hands again, after Connor finished reviewing her recording.

“He kidnapped her, and forced her to put on his clothes. Mr. Foster found them, and Markus stabbed him to death. Deliriously, he escaped, when he realized that he had cut Eleanor in his rage.”

Connor stood up, and turned to look at a couple of officers approaching from the line of bushes, presumably the help he asked for the droid: “Fear not Eleanor, they’ll fix you."

Jeongguk was still, with his arms loosely on either side of his body. The bile ran inside his gut and stomach, and his eyes stung, as he watched the scene, and heard Eleanor scream:

“I don’t want to live! What am I going to do? I love him!"

_ What is this sense of belonging? This cannot be just programming. _

Wiping the blue blood from his hand with a handkerchief, Connor stepped closer, as the two officers took care of Eleanor.

“We need to find Markus, but that’s my job. You can process the crime scene, and go home. You’re tired.”

Jeongguk nodded mechanically.

“Thanks Jeongguk. I’ll go quickly now. Rest.” Connor gently patted Jeongguk’s biceps. “I’ll see you at the office on Monday.”

Seeing Connor walk away, Jeongguk stepped to Eleanor, and looked into her tormented brown eyes. Unconsciously, and without weighing his actions, he crouched down, and hugged her, dipping his thick jacket in blue liquid. He stroked her face, and wiped away her tears, saying: “I’m sorry Eleanor.”

He returned to Mr. Foster’s body, and did his job, assisted by other officers.

His heart clenched, when he saw and removed a white-gold ring from the man’s finger, reading the words engraved on it:

"_Beloved Eleanor: my wife, my life.” _

As he processed the scene, words repeated in his mind:

‘_I love him, I don’t want to live._’

_ To live._

He remained immobile, while he saw the body being transported inside a bag, and the rest of the agents cleaning the area.

He took his phone out of his pocket, and texted Taehyung:

정국: Please, come tonight.

~~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Video recommendations on YouTube, to have a better idea of the kinds of androids we're talking about:
> 
> Detroit androids are able to record footage: Sex club (Important part starts minute 2:58)  
  
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pQ8DuN0EeaE  
  
and
> 
> Connor's skills to reconstruct crime scenes:  
  
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7EAhMzrsLB8  
  
Published: 2019-11-23


	3. Lover Skills

_Damn, who knew all the planes we flew,_

_ Good things we've been through. _

_ That I'll be standing right here talking to you, _

_ About another path I know we loved to hit the road and laugh._

Jeongguk listened to the same old song, feeling torn again after so many years.

The music rumbled inside his apartment.

Snow fell delicately outside the glass walls, but to Jeongguk, it seemed that the storm was made of sharp needles, which sneaked into the room, becoming words that cut through the air, scraping his skin in the dark.

He had come home drained, after processing the crime scene.

He didn’t change his clothes, he simply kicked off his shoes, and put his gun in the kitchen, still wearing that thick police officer’s jacket stained with blue blood.

He tuned in to those old songs he loved so much, and dragged the beanbag onto the glass wall, where he now lay messily in the dark, drinking from a bottle of soju, and staring at the city lights flickering behind the storm.

Yet, it wasn’t the cruelty of the graphic image of death that he witnessed that morning, that disturbed him the most. It was the cruelty of pain, the agony of loss.

And, damn it! He knew about loss.

Someone knocked on the door.

It was surely Taehyung, because it was six o’clock in the afternoon, the time he had agreed to come. Jeongguk lightheartedly stood up, and walked to open the door.

“Hi!” Taehyung greeted him with a concerned look, when he saw Jeongguk’s unsteady expression.

“Hey, come in.” Jeongguk showed a tipsy small smile, and let him in, closing the door as Taehyung took off his shoes and jacket.

Jeongguk shook some snowflakes from Taehyung’s hair: “It looks like it’s snowing heavier than yesterday.” He said, and walked towards the kitchen. “Do you want something to drink?”

“I’m fine.” Taehyung headed to the living room. “It’s freezing here.”

“You can turn on the heat, if you want.” Jeongguk brought in another bottle of soju, and flopped down on the couch, in front of the fireplace. Taehyung turned down the music, and adjusted the temperature of the room. He stood there watching him for a minute, then he walked and squatted in front of him, as he spoke: “Let me take this off you.” He helped him take off his jacket. “Your hands are very cold.”

Jeongguk was looking at him with an aggravated drunken expression.

Taehyung stood up, and disappeared down the hall that led to the bedrooms, for a few moments. He came back with a blanket, and wrapped it around Jeongguk’s shoulders, sitting next to him.

“I want sex.” Jeongguk said, smiling.

Stealing the bottle from his hand, Taehyung took a long drink of soju, and set the liquor on the table: “I don’t think it's what you need right now.” He said.

“Huh! I thought I bought an obedient robot.” Jeongguk declared amused.

“I’m not a robot, and you’re drunk.”

“I’m just tipsy, and I called you for sex.” Jeongguk’s voice was half cheery half pissed.

“Decent androids don’t fuck drunk boys… no matter how hot they are.” Taehyung patted Jeongguk’s greasy hair back, and winked, as he added: “...darling.”

Jeongguk laughed out loud upon that: “What happened to you? Rebooted or something?”

“You asked me to speak informally, remember?”

“Hmm. I think I liked the polite and horny Taehyung better.”

Taehyung slid closer, smiling: “Come.” He held him in his arms. “Let’s warm you up… and we can fuck later, if you want, okay?”

Jeongguk sighed, resting his head on his shoulder and his palm on his stomach.

They fell silent, staring at the fire.

“Was that… that blue blood, was that of an android you shot?” Taehyung whispered very tenderly, while stroking his hair.

“Eleanor. I didn’t shoot her. She was stabbed.”

“Did she commit a crime?”

“She was the victim. One of the victims.”

Taehyung gulped: “Is she dead?”

“A man was killed today Taehyung, and she doesn’t want to live without him.”

They fell silent again. Taehyung was gently rubbing Jeongguk’s hands and shoulders to warm him up.

“How long have you been here?”

“A few hours… several hours.” Jeongguk’s voice sounded weak.

“Mmm. You should eat something. I bet you haven’t.” Jeongguk shook his head. “Okay, I can make you something to eat.”

“Don’t, I’m fine.”

“Hmm. I will, so, just tell me what you want.”

Taehyung stood up. He wrapped Jeongguk in the blanket, and headed towards the kitchen.

Jeongguk sighed: “Disobedient robot.” Taehyung laughed when he heard that. “Hey! There are leftovers from Thanksgiving in the fridge.” Added Jeongguk, noticing that the android wouldn’t give up.

Taehyung made sure Jeongguk ate and drank water. Sneakily, he changed the music for something less depressing, when the other was not paying attention to his actions.

“You stink.” He teased Jeongguk. “You desperately need a shower.”

~~

It was definitely the coconut smell of Taehyung’s hair getting wet, which made Jeongguk feel content. Maybe, it was the precise temperature of the water hitting his back, and sliding down his own body; or it was the little drops that refused to fall from Taehyung’s lashes; or the pleasant touch of the cold wall where Jeongguk was leaning.

Maybe, it was all of that.

Jeongguk felt lighter while showering with Taehyung.

The latter had refused to fulfill any of the requirements that Jeongguk had asked of him that night, and he was amused. Pleasantly surprised.

He thought about how Taehyung had acted exactly the way he needed: refusing to follow his instructions.

Artificial Intelligence was so smart.

_ Hot and smart. _

Somehow, it had been like therapy.

“Are you loaded with psychotherapy skills?” Jeongguk asked Taehyung, who had put shampoo on his palms, and was now spreading it through his hair. Their faces were just a breath apart.

“Not really. They just made me smart to deal with you.” He took the hand shower to rinse off the shampoo, the foam slid down Jeongguk’s body. “Mmm, it must have been quite a challenge to make a droid smart enough to match your abilities.”

Jeongguk made a small smile upon hearing that comment. In fact, he was more focused on admiring Taehyung’s features, as the droid laboriously rinsed his hair and body, than paying attention to his compliments. He licked his lips, at the moment when Taehyung was concentrating exactly on them. The android stopped doing what he was doing, and got stuck there. Then, he raised his eyes, and met Jeongguk’s gaze. He blinked a couple of times, and gaped, his chest heaving.

Jeongguk noticed how the android’s eyes slowly filled with something close to passion, until they screamed out desire.

“And that’s your weakness.” Jeongguk pointed to his eyes.

Taehyung smirked.

_ He cannot hide his feelings. _

Jeongguk beamed.

_ Shit! Feelings. _

Taehyung left no room for further reflections. He reached over, and kissed him, blindly hanging the shower.

~~

_ Friday, December 3, 2038. _

_Let's go (Hov') _

_ Uh-huh, Hov' _

_ You, are, not, ready (Hov') _

_ Unstoppable (Dynasty) _

_ Young Hova _

_ I'm a hustler baby (Hov', I'm a hustler) _

_ I just want you to know (Hov', I wanna let you know)_

Jeongguk turned around smiling, adjusting the music volume, an old vinyl envelope in his hand, the cover showing Jay Z in black and white.

“I can’t believe they still work.” Taehyung beamed. Standing in the middle of the room, he was wearing only his ripped and unbuttoned jeans, as he watched Jeongguk enjoying his greatest passion: music.

“I thought the Corp’s mainframe was speaking in rhetoric when it said you liked listening to _ old stuff_.” He started humming the tune.

_Now give it to me,_

_ Gimme that funk, that sweet, that nasty, that Gucci stuff,_

_ But don't bullshit me._

Jeongguk’s music collection was like a journey back in time: a gathering of all kinds of devices and players, from the oldest to the newest technologies, thousands of melodies treasured in a corner.

That was something he and his father shared: the taste for good music. Much of the collection was contributed by his father, mainly those in vinyl and CD form.

Many of those songs, especially the old ones, were trapped in Jeongguk’s brain. The melodies transported him to his childhood. Images of him, and his older brother, happily witnessing their parents hugging, kissing, cooking, and dancing, flooded his mind. He knew the lyrics by heart.

It had already been a week since he met Taehyung. The android had visited him every day. They chatted, drank, and fucked, and Taehyung left each time, according to what Jeongguk had requested, when he first acquired CyberLife services.

Jeongguk enjoyed Taehyung's company. He was amused by his boldness and uniqueness; he loved when the android did not want to oblige, or when he made witty arguments, and, above all, when he suggested while fucking. 

This behavior made Jeongguk forget that he was a droid. He had thought about it a lot, during their first meetings, but lately, he was no longer worried. He had decided to let it go, and just enjoy it.

And it was working.

“Come.” Taehyung extended his palm towards Jeongguk. “You’ve made me wait forever. Mm… maybe you’re not in the mood?"

“You'd wish.” Jeongguk smiled. “I’m horny as fuck tonight. I’m just deferring gratification.”

“Really? Then, I have a great suggestion.”

“What?”

“Sixty-nining.” Taehyung spoke very seriously.

Jeongguk laughed, as he returned the vinyl envelope to its place: “Are you a teenager?”

“Mmm, I bet you haven’t done it since eternity, and you certainly haven’t done it with me. Sometimes, it’s good to go back to simple.”

Jeongguk walked towards him, feeling the softness of the carpet under his bare feet. His cock was already getting hard, a smile remained on his lips, and his eyes were lustful and bright.

“Ooh… you liked the idea.” Taehyung bit his lip.

Jeongguk grabbed him by the neck, and crushed their lips together. Taehyung slowly unbuttoned his shirt, and unzipped his pants, putting his hands inside, and caressing his buttocks. He slid his middle finger along his rim, reaching for his hole, and circling around it.

“Mmm...” Jeongguk moaned over his lips. “I want to eat you out.” He said, and Taehyung stopped, and looked at him with a frozen expression.

“Fuck.” Taehyung said, raising a hand to thumb Jeongguk’s lips, hunger in his eyes.

“Yeah.”

Jeongguk took off Taehyung’s jeans, and turned him around, squatting behind him. He spread his cheeks with both hands, and placed his tongue over his hole, licking and teasing there. Then he slid his tongue from the scrotum to the hole. 

Taehyung took a deep breath, reaching his hands back to grab him by the locks. He turned, and knelt in front of him, pushing him to lie down on the rug, and took off his pants. He kept there for a while, supporting his weight on his hands, on either side of Jeongguk´s shoulders.

“Are you going to sit on my face?” Jeongguk smiled boldly. “I love your taste.” His expression became lust and serious. “Let me eat you out. I’m dying to do it.”

Taehyung looked at him as he spoke: “I’m going to suck your dick, until you beg me to stop.”

He turned, carefully placing his knees on either side of Jeongguk’s head. He grabbed the base of his cock, and ran his tongue over the head. His butt was lifted, hindering Jeongguk from accomplishing his goal. He sucked the entire length, shoving it into his mouth, moving his head up and down.

“Mm, come.” Jeongguk moaned after a while, grabbing Taehyung by the small of his back, and pressing him down to reach his hole. He spread his buttocks, licking his tongue from the scrotum to the hole, in the same way he had done before, feeling the heat coursing through his entire body, with each suction of the other’s mouth on his own cock. He pressed his tongue, pulling Taehyung firmly by his hips to reach better, circling inside the other's hole, pressing his nose against his skin, and nuzzling.

He wanted to taste every part of his body, and hear him moan. He longed to satisfy him, and the feel of Taehyung’s tongue and lips around his own cock made his sensations even more intense.

Involuntary, he began to thrust into Taehyung’s mouth, as the android brushed his cock hard against Jeongguk’s chest, increasing his own pleasure. He felt he was nearing his climax, and eagerly sucked on Taehyung’s hole, pulling him firmly by the hips.

He felt his cock touching the back of Taehyung’s throat, and he pressed his tongue against his prostate, until he felt Taehyung madly squeeze his cock on him, shaking unevenly, as he spilled cum on his chest. He kept licking the inside of his hole, until his own excitement was too much, and he gave in, feeling Taehyung choking on his cock, imagining his beautiful face completely wrecked, and tear-filled eyes.

“Swallow my cum.” Jeongguk was lost in his pleasure. He groaned, lifting his hips several times, and came into Taehyung’s mouth. The droid carried him through over-sensitiveness, until Jeongguk began to quiver. “Please… please, s-stop.” He spoke in a shaky voice.

Taehyung released him, catching his breath. He then leaned back next to him.

“You’re beautiful. Did I mention that?” Jeongguk said, stroking his hair and jaw, observing his expression of exhaustion and his eyes closed. He wiped the traces of cum from his lips.

Taehyung smiled: “Ah... that was fun! Hmm, you haven’t done it in a while, have you?”

Jeongguk sighed: “Not really. Like ten years ago.” He laughed. “You?”

“Daniel Yoon, in College. Hmm, yeah, ten years ago!” Taehyung answered, and they both laughed at the silly confession.

They were silent for a while.

Jeongguk remembered he received a call from CyberLife, the purpose of which was to gather further information about the droid’s configuration, because he hadn’t provided any specifics about its memory. They asked him to decide if he wanted an android who was aware of its existence as a machine, or completely unaware of its artificial reality.

It was common for some owners, for example those who acquired androids made to replace dead relatives, chose to have a droid unaware of their reality, so these machines were fully convinced that their memories were, in fact, the memories of their own lives.

But Jeongguk didn’t want that. He wanted a self-governing android, but, much more than that, he wanted company. Someone he knew was not going to leave him, or betrayed him. Someone he could trust. But in fact, a conscious being.

Jeongguk was unclear about how those memories worked within the brain of a conscious android. How willing an android was to accept, or feel them as his own.

He felt that he had to make a decision at this point: either he would ask the android to erase all his implanted memory, or he would simply go with it.

Then, those feelings he had experienced a few nights before, that Taehyung might have the opportunity to have a past of his own, filled his heart again. He felt much more comfortable making a choice like this.

Besides Jeongguk… he was just a human being.

_ Who the fuck is Daniel Yoon? _

He was so deadly curious about that past, and the answer Taehyung would give, if he asked him.

_ Just go with it. _

“Did you like it that time?” Jeongguk asked.

“Yeah, a lot. But it was just sex at that moment. I never thought of him that way until that day. Thing is, I thought he was straight, and we were good friends. We were at the back of the dorms, just drinking and laughing. He kissed me out of nowhere, and I kissed him back, and we ended up sixty-nining half-naked.” Taehyung laughed super relaxed. Jeongguk was enjoying seeing him like that. “It was fun.”

“So, you and him did it, period?”

“No. Actually, it complicated everything between us.” He sighed. “We stopped talking for a long time; we didn’t hang out anymore; we avoided each other. It was weird. I guess we’d never seen each other like that, and we just did it, and didn’t talk about it later. Until one day, he came to see me, because he felt awful about the way things turned out between us. I felt the same, and missed him. He came to my dorm, I think he just wanted to apologize, just that, but..." Taehyung exhaled, concentrating on the ceiling, recalling the memories in his brain. “It was the day before Christmas’s break. He apologized, and five minutes later, we were having sex in my bed.” He sighed. “I liked him a lot.”

“Hmm, he wasn’t straight then.”

“No, he wasn’t.” Taehyung turned his face towards Jeongguk, and caressed his lips. “When we got back from vacation, we started dating. He was my boyfriend for two years”

“What? A sixty-nine turned into a serious relationship?”

“Well, we were friends from before. It was great between us. Those were the best years of my life, because we lived together in the dorms, and had all the time in the world. My roommate traded places with his, so we stayed together.”

“Two years is a long time. Well, for me. My record is shorter.” Jeongguk pursed his lips, showing a remorseful expression. “What happened after those two years?”

“I went back to Chicago.” Taehyung bit his lower lip, stopped talking for a moment, and his eyes were a bit sad. “He entered Oxford, after we graduated from University, he was so smart.” He smiled with affection in his eyes. “Some years after that, I learned that he married a French girl in the UK. He’s happy. I was happy with him, I guess, we both have good memories of each other.”

Jeongguk felt that there was something else. Something else that the android was not telling him.

“Why... why didn’t you follow him?” He asked carefully.

Taehyung breathed in and out. It took him longer to answer this time:

“I couldn’t. I went back to Chicago. I had to go back.” He sighed. Closing his eyes, he added: “My mom was sick.” Jeongguk noticed tears in the inner corners of his eyes, struggling to let out. “And I had to stay at home with my brother and sister... after she died.”

Jeongguk’s chest clenched, and his breathing became weaker. He observed Taehyung: his eyes were closed, his palm rested on his forehead, and tears began to run down his cheeks.

Jeongguk slipped his arm under Taehyung's neck, pulled him into his body, and hugged him. The droid hid his face in the curve of his neck. They remained holding each other. Jeongguk was stroking Taehyung’s hair, tenderly kissing his temple, as he felt his tears wetting his neck and shirt.

_ How? _Jeongguk thought.

Although the question never left his lips, he heard Taehyung answer it:

“Cancer.” Taehyung said sobbing. “I can’t understand, we’ve come so far and haven’t been able to fight that fucking disease. It’s devastating, you know? It consumes everything you love. It leaves you with nothing.”

With a lump in his throat, Jeongguk pressed Taehyung’s body hard against him. Only then, did he remember that his chest was spilled with cum.

Lying on that carpet, listening to the music become softer, and holding Taehyung in his arms, Jeongguk weighed how much he wanted to keep him close to his heart, the same way that their bodies were glued together.

He didn’t want to let him go.

~~

_Thursday, December 9,_ _2038._

Jeongguk opened the door of his apartment, surprised to see Taehyung standing on the other side, dressed in sportswear, and a thick coat covered in snow.

“What’re u doing here?” Jeongguk smiled widely, and gnawed his lower lip to the charming face in front of him: Taehyung's lips and nose were red from the cold, and he had snow spilled on his cheeks and forehead.

“You told me to come early.” Taehyung said with a serious expression. “Last Sunday, remember? When we were fucking in the kitchen, you asked me to come wrestling. I mean, literally.” He frowned. “You said: 'Thursday I’ll be free'.”

Jeongguk laughed: “Oh, boy. You’re right! But I didn’t tell you anything last night.”

“No. Except _deeper _and _faster._” Taehyung raised an eyebrow. “But you didn’t cancel either.”

Jeongguk just stood there, looking pleased at his rosy cheeks and cute red lips pouting.

“Will you let me in or what?”

“Hahaha. You’re so cocky.” Jeongguk moved to let him pass, and closed the door. “Sorry, I gotta go to work.” He also pouted.

Taehyung made an accusatory look, as he took off his shoes. “It’s freezing outside.”

“I’m really sorry. I was going to take the day off, but I changed my mind, and forgot that I told you to come today.”

Taehyung came over, and stroked his jaw: “Hmm, you’re a bit stressed maybe. Already forgetting things?”

Jeongguk took a deep breath. He noticed how calm he felt every time Taehyung touched him. He pressed his palm over Taehyung’s hand that was caressing his face, as he asked with doe eyes:

“Stay then, and wait for me until I come home.”

~~

태형: What does this mean?

태형: <image attached>

Jeongguk nearly fell out of his seat, the moment he saw the image of a dildo, spread out on his cellphone screen. He quickly hid his phone under his desk, and turned 360° to check if anyone was nearby. All the officers were on their duties. He sighed, and focused on his phone discreetly.

정국: What are you doing snooping through my stuff?

태형: I’m bored… and you haven’t answered my question.

정국: It’s a dildo.

태형**:** I know what it is.

정국: Then, why are you asking?

Jeongguk smiled pleasingly, as he thought he had a droid in his apartment, all bored and curious, holding a dildo in his hand.

태형: Jeongguk: you desperately need a sex-toy makeover. This thing’s older than my granny.

태형: does it still work?

Jeongguk giggled. He turned his head again to check his surroundings.

정국: I wouldn’t know, I used it just once.

태형: mm, twenty years ago. I mean, this is DEFCON 1 !!!!

Jeongguk intended to contain his laughter, hiding his mouth behind his palm, as he peeked around.

태형: and why once? Didn’t you cum, or what?

정국: I did cum. I no longer needed it.

정국: I bought a droid.

태형: funny :/

정국: just let me work! I’ll smack you later.

Jeongguk locked his phone, and drank some water.

He tilted his head back, supporting it over his palms, fingers intertwined, eyes closed, and a smile.

_ Just two weeks and I’m grinning like an idiot. _

Taehyung made him content.

“Hi Jeongguk. You shine today.” 

Jeongguk was startled, and opened his eyes, finding Connor standing next to him.

“How long have you been there?”

“I just got here.” Connor brought a chair, and sat down. “How’s everything?”

“Very good, actually.”

“Glad to hear that. Hm,” Connor hesitated. “Sorry then, maybe this makes you a bit upset.”

Jeongguk sat up straight, and frowned: “What is it?” He asked with a worried expression.

“It’s Markus, the android who stabbed Mister Foster.”

“You found him?”

“We haven’t caught him yet. However, they sent me the images taken by the drone that we flew that day, after the crime, and he was captured on camera. He returned to the crime scene.”

“What? When?”

“When we were still there.”

“What the fuck!?” Jeongguk leaned back, showing a very disturbed face. 

“Yeah, but that’s not all. CCTV caught him yesterday hanging around the station, hiding and prowling."

“Wait, _this s_tation?”

“Yes. The duty officer saw that this person had been around too long, so he showed the videos to Lieutenant Hank, and he recognized Markus. But when they went looking for him, he was already gone. So, they asked me to check the recording of the drone, which I hadn’t seen before, because the personnel who checked it in the first place, didn’t notice anything unusual.” 

Jeongguk felt the bitter taste of the bile in his stomach, his gut told him this was about him.

"The drone captured him for a few seconds, so the officers couldn’t see it at first. Markus was there, when you were there with Eleanor.”

“What do you mean?” Jeongguk’s voice quivered.

“Jeongguk, you happened to hug Eleanor on the spot that day, right?” 

“Yeah.”

“He saw you. My conclusion, after analyzing the data, is that he came back to the crime scene looking for Eleanor, and he saw us there. He saw you. He watched you hug her, and he got jealous. Consequently, he came here looking for you.”

Jeongguk was in a panic now. His terrified eyes were open wide. His palms began to sweat.

“He didn’t do anything at the crime scene, because the place was packed with officers. I stayed there for a while too. But he came here, and there is no other reason why he would expose himself like this. We checked the recording of previous days, it seems he only came yesterday.”

“Shit.” Jeongguk muttered, leaning back in the chair.

“Yes. I already asked Captain Fowler to arrange a special bulletproof car for you, with polarized windows. But you must make sure to park inside the station, in the back, then Markus won’t be able to see you coming and going. It seems that he doesn't know anything else about you, except that you are an officer of this Police Department, which he learned that day, while we were at the crime scene.”

“Mm… thanks.” Jeongguk murmured absently.

“Be careful, but don’t panic. You’re smart. You can handle it. And wear your bulletproof vest.”

Connor stood up. He leaned against Jeongguk, holding him firmly by the shoulder, and said:

“I’ll find him, Jeongguk. I will.”

~~

Jeongguk placed his car key on the table, and rubbed his face, as he entered his apartment. He took off his shoes, his jacket, and the thick vest.

_ Fuck._

He wasn't panicking, but he was concerned.

Yes, he needed a drink right away.

He walked to the kitchen, and noticed that the music was playing at a comfortable volume.

_ Cornell. _

He acknowledged.

_ Maybe ,Taehyung likes Chris Cornell’s music. _

But Taehyung was nowhere to be seen.

He took two beers from the fridge, and headed to his room. The door was open.

Jeongguk leaned his head on the doorframe for a few minutes, admiring the view: Taehyung was sitting cross-legged on the bed, wearing only a white T-shirt and his underwear. He was sketching something on Jeongguk’s block in black and white, very focused on his duty. Jeongguk’s collection of charcoal pencils was scattered all over his bed.

“Hi.”

Taehyung instantly smiled and looked up, when he heard Jeongguk’s voice.

“Hey. You’re early.” He spoke with such tenderness in his voice that Jeongguk’s heart raced. Jeongguk came over, sat on the bed, and admired the sketch: half of Dali’s ‘Swans reflecting elephants’ was already drawn in light and shadow.

“Wow! You’re very good.” 

“Thank you.” Taehyung took the bottle Jeongguk was handing him. “How was work?”

Jeongguk pressed his lips in a line: “I really don’t want to talk about it now.”

“Okay.” Taehyung drank from his bottle. He sighed: “Can I do something to make you feel better?”

Jeongguk smiled, gently stroking Taehyung's face, as he arranged his locks on the back of his head. 

“You’re already doing it.” He said fondly, feeling glad just hearing Taehyung's chuckles. “Actually, I can play for you… if you want.” 

The android’s eyes widened. The innocent smile on his lips melted Jeongguk's heart in a second: “Awesome.” He said.

Playing the guitar was Jeongguk’s second favorite and effective way of coping with uncertainty, worry, and loneliness.

Yes, sex was the first.

Two hours later, he and Taehyung accomplished the impossible: playing Chris Cornell’s ‘_Seasons’ _ proficiently. Their fingers skillfully run the strings of the two electro-acoustic guitars, harmonically synchronizing the rhythms, even though they were very tipsy, if not drunk.

Taehyung’s singing delighted Jeongguk’s ears, especially when he reached the high tones, with his deep, husky voice:

_Now I want to fly above the storm,_

_ But you can't grow feathers in the rain,_

_ And the naked floor is cold as hell,_

_ The naked floor reminds me,_

_ That I'm lost, behind,_

_ The words I'll never find,_

_ And I'm left behind _

_ As the seasons roll on by… yeah._

“Yeah!”

They screamed at once, and cheerfully hit their bottles when they finished playing the song.

“Wow! Your voice is so beautiful… and sexy.” Jeongguk raised an eyebrow, showing a playful smile.

“O-okay. We have to pick one for you, and rehearse another day. Mm. I bet you already have one in mind, and you won’t tell me.”

“Hahaha. I do. But today, we’re too drunk. Let’s fuck.” 

Taehyung choked on his beer, and laughed at Jeongguk’s request. “Ahh. Actually, I have a suggestion for that.” He showed his boxy smile.

Jeongguk’s tipsy heart raced, when he saw Taehyung’s tear-filled eyes, messy hair, relaxed body language, and his arms resting loosely on the guitar’s rim. He fixed his eyes on the delicate inner skin of his thighs, just because.

“What is?”

“Dildoing.”

Jeongguk laughed at that suggestion, until his belly hurt.

Five minutes later, they were attempting to dildoing in Jeongguk’s bedroom.

“I think we’re doing it all wrong, or I’m too drunk.” Taehyung laughed, as he tried to fix the dildo to a wooden chair that had been brought into the bedroom. “This sucker!”

Jeongguk had already given up. He was sitting on the floor, all drunk, leaning against the wall, giggling, and dressed only in his underwear. He stood up lightheaded, and walked over to Taehyung. Then he grabbed him by the waist, and kissed the back of his neck.

“Mm put that down. You alone are too much.” He nuzzled Taehyung’s hair and skin.

The android turned to kiss him, pressing their bodies together.

Jeongguk pulled him harder by the waist, and whispered into his lips: “What do you have? You make me all hard in a second, you drive me crazy.”

Taehyung lingered there, his eyes twinkling: “You too.”

They took off each other’s clothes.

Jeongguk was so drunk, that his body thrilled with every touch, his skin crawling with goosebumps all over. Taehyung felt so heavenly soft under his fingertips. Jeongguk kissed him passionately.

He had forgotten everything at this point: the discomfort and worry, the weight of that day, and the fear he felt when he heard the news from Connor’s lips.

Taehyung took the lube from the nightstand, and threw the dildo on the bed. He spread the liquid abundantly on his fingers, and slowly led Jeongguk back towards the bed, kissing him at the same time. He turned him over, and bent him down, pressing him against the mattress: “Stay like this.” He inserted two fingers into his hole, and Jeongguk groaned in excitement. Taehyung moved his fingers, scissoring, as he caressed his back, his rim, and his butt, to relax him.

“Ah Taehyung, fuck me.” Jeongguk’s drunken voice sounded hoarse. He grabbed the blankets with his hands and claws; his arousal was increasing, and his cock went hard when he felt another finger inside. “Oh, it feels so good.”

Taehyung stimulated his prostate for a long time. “I guess we can try now.” He pulled his fingers out of Jeongguk’s hole, and lifted him. “Come to the chair.” He squatted down, placed the dildo on the chair, and lubed it. “Come.” He repeated, looking at Jeongguk from that position.

Jeongguk thumbed his lips. 

“Whatever you want.” He moved to the chair positioning as if he were going to sit there, placing his legs on either side. Leaning one hand on the back of the chair, he supported the other on Taehyung’s shoulder, and slowly sat down on the dildo. He whimpered, feeling the pressure of the item entering his body.

Taehyung knelt in front of him, still holding the dildo. He delicately touched Jeongguk’s face, his lips, and jaw: “You’re beautiful when you’re this hard.” He kissed him, as he turned on the dildo.

Jeongguk moaned, closing his eyes, feeling the stimulation in his body. The pulses directly hit his prostate. He held the dildo with his own hand. “Sit on my lap. Ride me.”

Taehyung dropped lube on Jeongguk’s cock, turned his back on him, and slowly sat down.

Jeongguk was so fucking excited feeling the dildo in his ass, pulsing his prostate, and Taehyung’s hole, sweet and tight, squeezing his cock.

“Yes, baby ride me.” He watched as Taehyung slowly lifted his butt, until Jeongguk could see the head of his own cock, and then sank down again, until he could feel the base slamming Taehyung’s ass. The droid got extremely excited, and moved up and down, eagerly.

“Touch me.” Taehyung pleaded in a small voice, and Jeongguk reached out with his free hand, wrapping it around the other's cock, and began pumping it, matching Taehyung’s ups and downs. 

The stimulation was too much, seeing his own cock penetrating Taehyung, and feeling it reach the bottom. Gasping for air, Jeongguk spoke: “I won’t last.”

“Then cum inside me.” Taehyung started to move faster, as he grabbed Jeongguk’s thighs, frantically clenching his hole around his cock, like he wanted to push him over the edge. He didn't stop, whimpering and pleading: “Fuck me. I want it.”

Jeongguk released Taehyung’s cock, and painfully grabbed him by the hair, holding him tightly with one arm crossed over his abs. He pulled him firmly into his own body.

He fucked Taehyung desperately. When he felt like he was going to cum, he gripped him with both arms, to keep him steady, and spilled into him, whimpering and moaning loudly into the android’s neck.

Jeongguk stood them up, and pulled the dildo out of his hole.

Taehyung turned around, his face was drenched in sweat, his eyes were glossy, and his lips red.

Jeongguk pushed him back to the bed, knelt between his legs, and sucked his full hard cock eagerly. He was choking on it, tears welled up in his eyes. He didn’t stop until he noticed that Taehyung was shivering, and cum was seeping down his own throat.

Taehyung lay there after his climax, his arms spread out on either side, his teary eyes were focused on the ceiling. Jeongguk rested his cheek on his groin.

After many minutes, Jeongguk laid down next to him. All his anguish and fear had completely disappeared. He noticed Taehyung’s breathing was soothing down.

As he fell asleep, a strange sensation settled in his heart:

Restlessness.

He couldn’t fix the source of that feeling. It had something to do with Taehyung, and the fact that in the morning, he would be gone.

~~

_ Wednesday, December 15, 2038. _

Jeongguk leaned over the kitchen island, biting into his sandwich, and giggling along the handsome boy at the other end of the line, who complained that he hadn’t seen him in three weeks, that their friends were actually thinking Jeongguk had been abducted by the aliens, and that he missed him very much.

“Man, they’re going to kill you. I mean, I’m the only one defending you. You must come tomorrow!” The pretty boy laughed.

“Okay, okay! I’ve been busy. I’ll be there tomorrow.” 

Jeongguk exchanged a few words with his friend before ending the call, then he drank from his bottle of water. After a few moments, he felt that spine-chilling sensation of being secretly observed by someone, and he quickly turned around, finding Taehyung, who was standing there with his arms crossed over his chest, his lips pressed into a line, a frown, and an unreadable look.

“Hey!” Jeongguk felt a bit taken aback when he observed Taehyung’s stiff body language.

An awkward silence fell between them.

“Who was that?” Taehyung asked, tilting his head to the side.

Jeongguk gulped. “Ah… Chris.” He felt quite scratchy under the droid’s scrutiny.

“Chris.” Taehyung repeated, slowly nodding. “Hm... So, Chris misses you.”

Jeongguk felt the urge to explain that Chris was just his friend.

_ But why would I explain? _

He automatically caught a glimpse of Taehyung's circle of light.

_ Blue. _

“Mm yeah. I’ve missed our boys’ night out, for the last two weeks.”

Taehyung continued impassive.

“You are jealous?”

The words were slowly uttered by Jeongguk, sharpening their meaning. He stood up, and leisurely walked towards the android, never looking away, a serious expression on his face.

Taehyung blinked a couple of times, and snapped out of his thoughts only the moment Jeongguk was a breath away.

“You are jealous?”

Jeongguk repeated, smiling this time. He narrowed his eyes as he lifted Taehyung’s jaw slightly, then he kissed him persistently, until he felt the droid’s body relax, and his arms wrap around his own waist.

When they parted, Taehyung was smiling. They stayed in the kitchen chatting and drinking for a while.

The fact that the droid never answered his question didn’t go unnoticed by Jeongguk, but it did not concern him. If anything, he was amused by Taehyung’s behavior.

~~

_ Friday, December 17, 2038. _

“You call _ this _ a knot? You’re lame. Didn’t they teach you at the Police Academy how to tie a frickin’ decent knot? My granny could escape this with her eyes closed, and she’s quite old.”

Taehyung frowned, turning his head over his shoulder in an attempt to catch a glimpse of said knot.

“Oh, shut up! You won’t even have time to think about escaping when I’m fucking myself with your cock.” 

The answer made Taehyung give an honest laugh. At his suggestion, Jeongguk had tied him to the couch’s leg, with a long silk scarf.

So there he was, all naked, sitting on a cushion on the rug, leaning his back on the couch’s arm, both hands tied to the peg leg.

In fact, the knot was quite disgraceful, but Jeongguk wouldn’t have tightened it, considering there was still a slight chance that Taehyung might get hurt.

Jeongguk was dressed only in underwear, as usual. He dimmed the lights and changed the music. Another very old song began to play, in Beyoncé's voice:

_I love to love you baby,_

_ I love to love you baby,_

_ I'm feelin' sexy,_

_ I wanna hear you say my name boy._

Jeongguk drank from his glass of water, and put it on the center table. He witnessed Taehyung’s lustful expression that the music provoked in him. The android was scanning Jeongguk's body unashamedly.

Taehyung shook his head.

“Yeah right. Lame, lame knot.”

Jeongguk put his hands on his hips: “You know what? I need to shut you up. Hm, don’t move. I’ll be back.”

He disappeared into the kitchen for a few moments, and returned with the scissors and red tape.

“Seriously? Vet tape? Are you kidding me?” Taehyung was dumbfounded.

“You talk too much.” Jeongguk displayed a wide playful smile.

“Bring something decent to tape my mouth!”

The statement made Jeongguk laugh hard. He walked closer, and squatted next to Taehyung: “I have 3M, but that’d tear your beautiful lips, baby.” He thumbed the droid’s lips.

“Ah, you’re so soft. You wouldn’t hurt a fly. But vet tape!? Don’t you have rope or something?” Taehyung scolded him.

“This _ IS _something! I’ll tape your mouth. I don’t want to hear any fucking suggestions. I’m tired of those.”

“Yeah, right. Mmm… you’re turning me on.”

Yes, Jeongguk was indeed innocent, gentle, and thoughtful.

“Oh, shut the fuck up!” Jeongguk cut a long strip of tape, and knelt to cover his mouth.

“WAIT!” Taehyung yelled. “Don’t cover my eyes! I want to see you.”

“I wasn’t going to. I want you to watch.”

“Pervert.” Taehyung smirked, as he watched Jeongguk come closer to cover his mouth. “Mmm, wait!” Taehyung spoke again.

“Now what?” Jeongguk was losing his patience.

“Let me give you a blowjob first.” Taehyung’s eyes sparkled with desire saying that.

Jeongguk stood up, and remained without moving, his mouth agape, as he scanned Taehyung’s naked body. He fixed his eyes on the droid’s mouth, as he licked his own lips.

“Oh c’mon! I know you want it.”

_ Hell yeah! Of course I want it. _

Jeongguk put the vet tape on the couch, and slowly removed his underwear, not taking his eyes off the other.

_ He is so gorgeous, and so fucking willing to satisfy me. _

He moved, and placed one foot on either side of Taehyung’s thighs. His cock was all hard bouncing in the air.

He traced Taehyung’s jaw, and rubbed his lips as he said: “Open your mouth, pretty boy.”

Their eyes locked.

Taehyung did as told. He opened his mouth to suck the entire length.

“No! just a little.” Jeongguk demanded, and pushed just the head of his cock into Taehyung’s mouth. “Yeah, like that.” He felt the heat coiling in his groin.

The lights, the music, Taehyung’s naked body tied to the couch, his submissive, and beautiful expression, eyes closed, soft lips against the head of his cock. It was too much.

Jeongguk kept stroking Taehyung’s jaw gently. He moved his lower lip down to keep his mouth open, and forced him to move his tongue and lips over those spots that made him cry with pleasure. He wanted to thrust harder, he was dying to feel those lips around his cock, but preventing Taehyung from doing it was so much more exciting. He rubbed his cock with his own hand, and pushed it into Taehyung’s mouth. Taehyung brushed his lips gently, sucking on the precum.

“Yeah baby, that’s it.” Jeongguk groaned, and took a deep breath, his eyes closed.

It felt so fucking hot, giving Taehyung just a little bit, just the head of his cock, while the other wanted to taste all.

Taehyung leaned back, and run his closed lips against the cock: “Ride me baby, fuck yourself on my cock. I want to feel you so bad.”

Jeongguk opened his eyes. He took the lube, and sat on Taehyung’s legs, spreading the liquid over his cock. Leaning on his knees, and with a mischievous smile, he took the strip of vet tape: “Sorry baby, you won’t fucking speak, and won’t fucking move this time. I want it like this.”

The statement made Taehyung’s breathing speed. His mouth was open, and his eyes were full of hunger.

Jeongguk wrapped the tape around Taehyung’s mouth and neck twice, and tied it tightly on the back of his head. Supporting his hand on Taehyung’s shoulder, he sank down, moaning from the pressure of the full hard cock entering his hole.

“Yeah, like this.” He sighed. “You feel so fucking big inside of me.”

He grabbed Taehyung by the neck, and started moving up and down, fucking himself on the other's cock, crying in pain and pleasure. He was so excited. 

Taehyung thrust his hips up just once, mechanically.

“Don’t move!” Jeongguk ordered, and slapped him on the cheek.

The droid pierced his eyes at Jeongguk. Fire and desire mixed within them. Jeongguk tugged at Taehyung's hair on the back of his head, and tilted it hard: “Do not move.” He repeated.

“You feel so fucking big.” Jeongguk moved steadily. He was moaning, as he felt the cock penetrate his hole deep. 

Almost touching the tape stuck to the other’s lips, Jeongguk tightened his locks harder, and forced him to look into his eyes.

“Look at me.” He whispered, feeling the droid’s hot breath through the pores of the tape. “Look me in the eye, as you cum inside me.”

Their eyes were fixed the entire time, as their bodies increased in heat, until they reached their orgasms.

Jeongguk felt the strong urge to kiss Taehyung on the lips. He spilled on Taehyung's stomach, breathing on his tape-covered lips, and looked into his eyes, those beautiful dark eyes that looked so lost. He couldn’t take it anymore, he shifted the tape down, and Taehyung’s skin turned red to the tough friction of the fabric. He cupped the android’s face, and kissed him ardently, as he felt the body beneath him trembling, cum filling him, and unintelligible words turning to moans.

His heart beat faster, even faster than a few seconds before when he was cuming. Seeing Taehyung satisfied and feeling his soft lips, that was his true climax, his higher gratification, his way of experiencing completeness while having sex.

Jeongguk lingered there, glued to the other's lips.

When he opened his eyes, Taehyung was looking back at him with a wet and tender expression. Jeongguk’s eyes couldn’t hide his fondness. He touched his lips, swollen from the friction of the tape.

“This is too much perfection.” He said with a smile and watched Taehyung’s eyes sparkle.

The droid tilted his head slightly to the side, and spoke carefully:

“Why did you want a droid?”

Jeongguk’s smile slowly disappeared, he knew what Taehyung was asking for. There was a good deal of information that the android certainly didn’t know about him, and he wasn’t sure if this was the right time to talk about it. Although so far, he could tell that he trusted Taehyung.

Guilt feelings were slowly settling in his heart again. He wanted to speak, but did not feel ready to do so. He gulped, his voice sounded a bit hoarse, as he answered automatically:

“I had unpleasant experiences in the past.”

_ Bullshit. _

Taehyung frowned: “Yeah.” He leaned closer, and brushed his nose against Jeongguk to make him smile. He pecked his lips, and remained there, just a breath apart. Jeongguk was still tugged to his neck.

“Stay like this.” Taehyung looked him straight in the eye: “Jeongguk, would you tell me?”

_ I really want to tell you everything, but… _

But it was painful.

“I had a few serious relationships in the past, I failed every time.” He sighed. “I guess, I’m a failure when it comes to love.” He said with a nervous laugh.

“That’s not possible.” Taehyung looked at him tenderly. “Not with what you’ve shown me so far.”

Jeongguk tilted his head back, and scanned the ceiling. He closed his eyes:

“They all broke up with me or betrayed me.” He focused on Taehyung again. “There was always someone else. Someone better. Someone… different maybe? I was never enough.”

“What are you saying? Guys like you don’t come around very often.”

That line went straight from Taehyung’s lips to Jeongguk’s heart. He fixed it within his soul, the same way he did with all the meaningful events of his life.

But Taehyung didn’t know.

_ I want him to know. _

“I guess I never gave them a chance. I never let them in.”

Taehyung displayed a questioning look upon that. Jeongguk caressed his chest:

“There was only one person, only one in my life who I really trusted, besides my family and friends, I mean, as a partner. The only one I truly loved. I was very young, very young.” He closed his eyes for a second. “But I knew what I felt was real. I loved him. Never after that did I open my heart to anyone else, and I guess that's not what a boyfriend is supposed to be, right?” He chuckled. His eyes were sad, and Taehyung’s too. “So, I can’t blame them for leaving me or cheating.”

Taehyung fell silent, caressing him with his gaze.

“What happened to _ him_?”

Jeongguk’s heart pressed inside his chest. He wanted to say it, but he felt he wasn’t ready to do it. He was fighting the words in his mouth, and retaining the tears that desperately struggled to leave his eyes.

“I can’t talk about that now. I really couldn’t.” He said with teary eyes.

“It’s okay, it’s okay.” Taehyung spoke with such an affectionate voice, Jeongguk couldn’t hold back the tears, and let them run down his cheeks. He quickly rubbed them, cupped Taehyung’s face, and kissed him.

“Another day?” Jeongguk whispered on his lips.

“Yeah, baby. It’s fine.”

Jeongguk rested their foreheads together, and they remained for some minutes in silence.

“Well, will you untie me, or what?” Taehyung suddenly spoke.

Jeongguk laughed: “Didn’t you say it was a lame knot? A lame-lame knot? Huh?"

~~

_ Tuesday, December 21, 2038. _

The Police Station was very quiet that morning when Jeongguk arrived from analyzing the scene of a new crime. He parked in the back, and stayed inside his car, mentally weighing what he had just processed: another human had been killed, and another android had diverged.

Nevertheless, this time Jeongguk was not so willing to feel sad, for the poor man that had been shot to death. The person in question was a prig, an abusive individual. He was known for mistreating his domestic androids. That day the man bit one of them badly, and attempted to abuse her, receiving in response two shots from his own rifle, fired by another of his domestic androids.

Jeongguk sighed, and rested his head on the seat, rubbing his face with his palms. Connor had told him to drop by the office after processing the crime scene, because they needed to talk more about the situation with Markus.

Jeongguk had been very careful the previous days, as Connor had requested. He always used the special car and the bulletproof vest.

But Markus was nowhere to be found. It seemed as if he had vanished. However, the main investigation that Connor was leading had yielded some important results: the deviants were gathering at a location known as ‘Jericho’ that the Police had not yet located.

At first it seemed that the androids only wanted to protect themselves, and they hid in that place with that purpose. But lately, clues and evidence had been revealed that led to the belief that deviants wanted to start a revolution. The situation was quite complicated and dangerous, not only in Michigan, but also in the States of Illinois and Massachusetts.

Jeongguk was worried, however he now found himself thinking about Taehyung. The duality he was experiencing at that time in his life was strange: his main fear was an android, and his main source of satisfaction was an android as well.

He smiled at the thought of Taehyung and the things they had done. But it wasn’t just sex. It was the lovely company that he had been blessed with. He was reflecting on how Taehyung had become his solace lately, that place he returned to whenever he needed to feel calm and safe.

Jeongguk closed his eyes, as images of Taehyung filled his mind: his smile, his smooth and clear skin, his beautiful voice, his limitless talent for all artistic expressions, his eyes. He remembered Taehyung’s look that night when he tied him to the couch, and his heartbeat sped up.

Unfortunately duty called. He got out of the car, and as he headed to the office, a furtive thought came to his mind: daydreaming.

He was already daydreaming about Taehyung.

_ Shit. _

“Okay, Connor, just spill the beans, no matter how bad the news is." Jeongguk leaned his butt on his desk, his arms crossed over his chest.

Connor dragged a chair nearby, and sat down. 

“No more bad than what you already know, Jeongguk. Deviants have increased enormously in recent months, and are gathering in Jericho. The most worrying issue is that some events in recent days seemed to be connected to an organized revolution. The assault on the CyberLife warehouse, for instance, which happened last week. The perpetrators stole spare parts and power sources, along with important information about the location and facilities of the broken droid concentration camps. Markus participated in that robbery. Apparently, he was leading it.”

Jeongguk’s selfish brain mused on how bad that was from any point of view, except as regards his own situation: if Markus was busy with the revolution, perhaps he would forget about Jeongguk.

“That could be good news for you, Markus has a new target now.” Said Connor, as if reading what was inside Jeongguk’s mind. “But an android never forgets its purposes, no matter how long it takes. Surely you know it.”

“Mmm yeah. I’m just one person, but many will be at danger if we… if the authority cannot handle this revolution in the best possible way. They are deviants, but it doesn’t mean they want a bad result. Maybe they are willing to negotiate.” 

“Of course they are. The question is: at what cost?” Connor rested his elbows on his thighs. “There’s something else.” The wariness in Connor’s voice was worrying. Jeongguk’s palms began sweating, and his body stiffened. “The legal issue regarding Eleanor is over. Mister Foster’s family agreed to set her free, and let her decide on her own fate. Eleanor chose to be deactivated. She was shut down last Friday.”

Those words crushed Jeongguk’s head like a large bucket of cold water. A lump formed in his throat, and goosebumps spread all over his body. His mind flew back to that last Friday, collecting images of Taehyung, while he was naked, and tied to the couch. His heart clenched.

_ Why? _

“I see… did she say something?”

“That she didn’t want to live.” Connor observed Jeongguk’s face, and added: “You feel weak. Sit down Jeongguk, please.”

The android stood up to fetch some water from the dispenser. He came back, and handed a glass to Jeongguk, who was now sitting in his chair. Connor sat down, across from him.

“I know that the android's situations have always moved you, but lately you seemed to be more affected by them. Is there something happening? Has your past come back to haunt you?”

“No. Well, a little. But it’s not that. I’m not recalling the past like that. It’s," Jeongguk breathed. “I bought an android a few weeks ago. I’m somewhat sensitive lately, just that.”

“I see. Did you purchase it from CyberLife?”

“Yes.”

“Has it been working well?” 

“Yes.” Jeongguk said with a sincere expression. “Actually, I bought it to be my partner.” He tapped his lips with his index finger, while scanning the ceiling, as if searching for something in his memory. “And he’s been functioning extremely well.” He nodded with a wicked smile.

Connor laughed out loud. The android rarely laughed, but when he did, Jeongguk was usually involved.

“That sounds good. You also call him ‘him’. It’s a good sign that you accept his programming.”

“Yeah, I feel better this way.”

“You feel comfortable with him. That’s very good. Don’t let your guard down on Markus. Stay alert, okay?”

The android stood up, and began to walk away. Suddenly, he turned:

“It is reassuring to know you have an android by your side these days. He won’t hesitate to defend you, if something happens.”

He turned again, and left.

Jeongguk kept pondering his words.

Yes, androids like Taehyung would defend their owners at all costs.

But Jeongguk didn’t want to think about that. In no way did he like the idea of Taehyung being hurt because of him, no matter how artificial he was.

~~

“Shit! You need the key!”

Jeongguk stepped out of the elevator, and saw Taehyung across the huge hall. He was sitting down on the floor, and leaned toward the door of his apartment.

“I’m fine. I can wait.”

“No way!” Jeongguk extended his hand to help him stand. “We’ll program the code for your fingerprint right now, okay?”

“Okay.”

It seemed like Taehyung's smile was too cute for Jeongguk to bear, because he suddenly pulled him by the waist, and crushed their lips together.

“How can you wear this heavy thing all day?” Taehyung tugged at his bulletproof vest, as Jeongguk opened the door.

“I didn’t wear it all day, but it’s heavy shit, indeed.”

After entering the apartment, Taehyung suggested going to bed. Jeongguk seemed beaten by the weight of that day.

“Why don’t you take a shower, and I'll make you a drink?” Taehyung took off his clothes, leaving only his underwear and shirt, like he used to.

“Ahh. I think I really need that.”

When Jeongguk came out of the bathroom after showering, he found Taehyung entering his room with drinks. He stood there naked, next to the bed, small drops of water running down his body. He observed Taehyung’s expression: lust. That was always so obvious to Jeongguk. 

Taehyung moved slowly, and placed the drinks on the nightstand, and something in Jeongguk’s clothes lying on the floor caught his attention. He bent down to pick it. Whatever it was, it remained hidden from Jeongguk’s eyes.

Taehyung stood up, and turned around, with a serious and hot expression on his face.

Only then, could Jeongguk see that the droid was holding his own handcuffs in his hand.

Taehyung approached, slowly scanning Jeongguk’s naked body up and down.

In a sudden move, he grabbed Jeongguk’s wrist and handcuffed it.

Jeongguk remained motionless, just breathing, locking eyes with the other.

Taehyung threw him onto the bed, and lifted his arms, passing the other end of the handcuffs through the headboard bars, and secured the second strand. Jeongguk’s heartbeat sped up. The awareness of being naked and handcuffed to his bed, turned him on in a second.

Taehyung swallowed, scanning the naked body beneath him. His voice faltered when he spoke:

“I think… I think I have a suggestion.”

Jeongguk was speechless; his chest showed clear signs of arousal; his eyes were dark and hungry, he was barely breathing. Taehyung settled his body on the bed, and knelt between his legs. He placed his hands on either side of his armpits, and leaned over him, gently caressing his face and kissing his lips.

Then he kissed his cheeks and jaw, and every spot on his face, chewed on his earlobes and neck, running his tongue everywhere. He sucked the skin on his collarbones, until it was scarred crimson, and caressed the delicate skin on his wrists, which was turning pink and marked under the handcuffs. He moved to kiss and touch his chest and abs.

“You’re so perfect.” He spoke, working on his groin and cock.

Jeongguk was thrilled by the sensations. He closed his eyes, and felt Taehyung’s mouth run gently over his thighs, and his hands touching him everywhere.

Taehyung spread Jeongguk's legs wider, and lifted his butt to get better access to his hole. He sucked his skin there until he reached his prostate. 

Jeongguk was so hot, his cock was hard, his hole felt wet, as all his body was begging for more.

An uncontrollable desire came to settle inside his chest: he wanted to satisfy Taehyung. He needed to do it.

“Come.” He demanded, but Taehyung didn’t respond, too focused on what he was doing.

“Please come. I want to suck your cock. I want you to fuck my mouth.”

Taehyung stopped, and looked at him with an unreadable expression.

“Is that what you want?”

“I want to satisfy you first.” Jeongguk’s words left his lips, before he could reflect on what he was saying. “I need to satisfy you.”

Taehyung took off his shirt and underwear, and sat on Jeongguk’s stomach.

“Jeongguk,” He said tenderly, while rubbing his lips. It seemed like he was struggling with other words, as if he was retaining them behind his teeth, but Jeongguk didn’t let him speak.

“Taehyung,” 

The name came out of his lips, and echoed directly within his own heart.

“Fuck my mouth. Please, don’t stop until you come. I need you to.”

Taehyung’s eyes turned dark and hungry. He lingered there, looking at him: “I don’t want to hurt you. You’re handcuffed and you won’t be able to speak. I won’t…”

“Please.” 

Jeongguk's heartbeat raced to the rhythm of a feeling he couldn’t contain inside: 

“I need it. Do it, and don’t stop.”

Taehyung surrendered to his request. He slid Jeongguk up a bit, and placed his head on two pillows, so as not to choke him so much. He placed his knees next to each of his armpits.

Opening the boy’s mouth with his fingers, Taehyung slowly pushed into his throat, carefully at first, to give him time to get used to the sensation.

He pushed in several times, getting more aroused with each thrust of his cock. He then kept a steady pace, intending not to choke Jeongguk as much, but eventually, he lost himself in his own pleasure, and began to thrust hard.

That was exactly what Jeongguk needed.

He wanted to feel submissive, to surrender to the deep desires of the other.

He felt Taehyung's cock reach the back of his throat, and tears began to run down his face unwillingly.

Taehyung was totally lost in his hunger. He grabbed onto Jeongguk's hair, tugging firmly at his locks, and supported his hand on the headboard, while moaning loudly.

“Yeah, baby like this. Choke in my cum.”

He fucked Jeongguk’s mouth until he came, shaking and doubling over his stomach.

Jeongguk swallowed everything. He cried and coughed, as cum ran down his throat.

Taehyung pulled his cock out of Jeongguk’s mouth, and lifted him. Jeongguk was still coughing, his eyes red, his face dirty with tears and cum. He breathed in, trying to cool down.

Taehyung leaned in, and kissed him passionately. He kissed him again the same way he did before, all over his body.

He turned Jeongguk to the side, and spread his buttocks, thrusting his tongue into his hole and making little circles. He sucked on the skin hard, making Jeongguk moan in excitement, as he his cock.

Jeongguk felt so dirty, so fucking hot as Taehyung shamelessly ate him out. He pushed his ass back to feel him deeper. The taste of cum still lingered in his mouth, mixed with his own spit.

After a while, Taehyung released him, damped his fingers in Jeongguk’s precum, spread it in his hole, and pushed his cock inside.

“Yes.” Jeongguk yelled, as he felt the hard cock enter painfully.

Taehyung fucked him powerfully.

Jeongguk's hole ached due to poor lubrication, but he was so excited, madly lost. He felt electricity rush through his fingertips and toes, his breathing was getting thin, and heat was pooling in his head and clouding his mind.

He came hard, while shuddering erratically.

Taehyung kept fucking him, taking him through over-sensitiveness.

Jeongguk lost consciousness for a few seconds. When he opened his eyes, the room was spinning, so he closed them quickly. His ears buzzed, his blood pressure felt beating in his ears and inside his head. He heard the echo of Taehyung’s voice calling him:

“Jeongguk, Jeongguk: the key. Where’s the key?”

“My wallet.” He heard himself speaking in a weak voice.

Lost in that half sentient state, he caught images of Taehyung undoing the handcuffs, and felt the soft fabric of the bath towel, warm and wet, cooling his face and wiping cum from his mouth and body.

He responded to Taehyung’s demand to drink a glass of water, and sat up mechanically. Then he lay back down with his eyes closed.

Taehyung disappeared for some moments, and came back with another wet towel to clean him up. He accommodated the pillows, and tucked him in. He crawled naked onto the bed, and hug him from behind.

Jeongguk turned, and looked at him for a brief moment, his palm placed on Taehyung's cheek:

“Stay.”

He uttered, and noticed how Taehyung’s eyes glowed in the dark.

He hid his face in the curve of Taehyung’s neck, and took a deep breath, intending to retain his scent.

Taehyung’s arms tightened around his body, and his lips placed a kiss on his head.

“Stay.”

He repeated, as he fell asleep.

~~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Songs:  
See You Again, Wiz Khalifa- Charlie Puth  
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RgKAFK5djSk  
  
I Just Wanna Love U (Give it 2 me)”, Jay Z  
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nG8o_9RliwU  
  
Seasons, Chris Cornell  
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wu-ZD9kXXcA  
  
Naughty Girl, Beyoncé  
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZuJ_OHBN78  
  
Published: 2019-12-16


	4. A Christmas Cottage

“Jeon, in my office now.”

Jeongguk twirled at Captain Fowler’s call, tablet in hand, pencil clenched between his teeth.

“That’s God’s call, Jeon. You better hurry.” Lieutenant Hank Anderson pursed his lips and nodded, leaning his back on his chair. “Give me the tablet, in the meantime I’ll keep working on this.” He said, extending his hand to Jeongguk, who was standing to his side. They both turned when they heard the bossy call from the Captain again:

“You too Hank. Both of you: in my office, NOW!”

They saw Captain Fowler enter his office, and exchanged glances.

“Right.” Anderson grunted, and stood up reluctantly. Jeongguk put the tablet on the desk and followed him. Connor was already inside the office, Jeongguk could see through the glass walls.

Lt. Hank Anderson worked with Connor at the Police Department. He was a short-tempered middle-aged man who argued with the android all the time. But Jeongguk was his soft spot. The thing was, he held a grudge against androids, even though he admitted that Connor was brilliant.

“Well.” Fowler sighed when everyone was inside his office. Hank sat in an armchair in front of the Captain’s desk, and Jeongguk stood next to him. Connor was on the opposite side, showing his usual unaffected countenance. The Captain continued: “As you must already know, the situation had been pretty bad with the deviants last week. However, the last few days things have calmed down. I have no idea why.”

“Maybe they’re on Christmas break.” Hank interrupted, and the three men laughed. Connor made a tiny smile, he understood those jokes quite well, but they were _ human stuff._

Hank was allowed to make those kinds of jokes, he enjoyed the Captain’s indulgence, because they were the same age and had known each other forever.

Fowler sighed again, and scratched his chin: “That might actually be true. I’d be concerned about this deliberate silence, but the fact is that Markus is prowling around the Station again...” He looked at Jeongguk, who dropped his arms to either side, with a shocked expression.

“Yes, he’s been lurking. He has time to spend on that so... it seems like they’re not attempting to do something anytime soon.”

“Fucking bad news for me Cap.” 

“Yes Jeon, unfortunately. We let him do it, hoping his movements will take us somewhere, but the sucker is pretty smart.” The Captain started tapping his fingers on the desk. “I decided to continue like this, let Markus lurk...” He showed his palm to Jeongguk, signaling him to calm down, before the boy panicked. “We can keep an eye on him. If he’s still around, the deviants must be waiting for something and won’t make a move, because Markus seems to have enough time to waste looking for you.”

Jeongguk exhaled deeply. 

Hank too. “It’s dangerous.” He said.

“Yes it is.” Fowler pointed at Jeongguk: “That’s why you’re going to take a break.”

“What!?” Jeongguk yelled.

“Yes. Christmas Holiday.” The Captain observed Jeongguk’s shocked expression, and repeated: “Jeon: H-O-L-I-D-A-Y. You need a vacation.”

“But Cap, I have work to do.” Jeongguk placed one hand on his hip, and covered his lips with the other.

“Jeon, when was the last time you went on vacation, for real? Not those few days off that you take once a year. A real vacation.”

“Three years, six months and four days ago.” Connor spoke when he noticed that Jeongguk wasn’t going to answer. Jeongguk looked at him with menacing eyes, while Hank let out a noisy laugh.

“Yes.” Fowler said. “Actually, this was all Connor’s idea.”

“Jeongguk, I think it is correct to proceed as Captain Fowler said: we have to keep Markus close. We need him to believe that you’re here. There’s a good chance we’ll get clues to his movements, find Jericho and capture him, but you must be safe.” Connor stated.

“But the investigation… I can help.” Jeongguk insisted.

“Yes, you’re the best in the Crime Unit, but you deal with humans, Jeon. This is about droids. Hank and Connor are in charge. If something important comes up, I’ll call you back. I’ll let you know.”

“Hmm… but you should get out of the city.” Hank said. “Shouldn’t he?” He addressed the Captain.

“Yes, you should.” Declared Fowler.

Jeongguk rubbed his face with his palms, and sighed for the umpteenth time.

Fowler concluded:

“It is so decided: I don’t want to see you until next year, or I’ll kick you out.”

“Hahaha, I’d like to see you function without him.”

Hank’s compliment made Jeongguk feel a little lighter, still he didn’t like the idea of forcibly going on vacation.

“Okay, Cap. My first vacation in three years.” Jeongguk said as he pierced his eyes towards Connor with a frown and a look of resentment.

“Nice! Now get the hell out of here!” Fowler said. When he noticed that only Jeongguk was following his order, he yelled: “All of you! I’ve got work to do!”

Jeongguk slumped into his desk chair, still angry at the idea of leaving at a crucial point. But Fowler was right: the droid revolution was not in his hands.

Maybe Connor was right too: he needed a vacation.

_ Hmm… that could be fun, actually. _

He took his phone, and texted Taehyung. At the time, the android was probably packing some clothes to stay at Jeongguk’s:

**정국:** Hiya! Pack a large suitcase. We’re going on vacation.

~~

Jeongguk entered his apartment past midnight, he had stayed in the office to check on every detail, so that his imminent absence would not affect the ongoing processes.

The apartment was warm and cozy, music was playing in the background, and the lights were low.

Taehyung was already there, lying on the carpet with a book in hand. He was barefoot, wearing his unzipped jeans and Jeongguk’s favorite black hoodie. He turned his head to greet him:

“You look tired as fuck.”

Jeongguk giggled: “Nice to see you too.”

“I’m sorry.” Taehyung smiled, closed the book and put it on the rug.

Jeongguk took off his coat, bulletproof vest and shoes, and walked into the living room, absolutely drawn by the sight in front of him: this beautiful boy resting placidly on the rug.

He stood at Taehyung’s feet for a while. Then he leaned in, resting his hands on either side of his shoulders, caging his thighs between his knees.

He kissed him softly, and Taehyung reacted quickly, cupping his face in both hands. Jeongguk sprawled over him, and rested his head on his chest, his eyes closed, while Taehyung wove his fingers through the strands.

It was so good to be back home like this.

“Mmm. I could fall asleep here.”

“Sleep, then.”

“I must pack. We have to leave early in the morning.” Jeongguk sighed, suiting his head on Taehyung’s chest, and nuzzled his hoodie.

“Why the rush? Isn't it a holiday?”

“Yeah, but tomorrow is Christmas Eve, and the highway will be crowded. We’d better avoid rush hours. We’re heading to Ludington.”

“Really? Mm, that’s nice.” Taehyung lifted Jeongguk’s chin to look at his face. “Why this sudden vacation? You tricked the police and now we have to flee?”

Jeongguk laughed, and hid his face in the hoodie. He then raised, supporting on his right elbow, and traced Taehyung’s cheek with his finger: “The boss sent me on vacation, because a bad droid is stalking me.” He flashed a playful smile.

Taehyung frowned: “WHAT?” He sat up, forcing Jeongguk to take the same position. “What droid?”

“Ahh… long story short: the crime scene I processed a few weeks ago, when we first met, remember?” Taehyung nodded. “He’s the culprit. He was obsessed with Eleanor, the victim’s android who was stabbed that day. He saw me there with her… hugging her. Apparently, now he’s jealous and wants to slice my balls, most certainly. Fortunately, he’s been busy with the droid revolution, so the Captain and Connor, that treacherous android police officer, believe that the best strategy is to let him come around, while they keep an eye on him.” Jeongguk rested his chin on the palm, and his elbow on his knee. “But it’s dangerous for me to be there.”

“They’re right.” Taehyung crossed his arms over his stomach, gnawing his lower lip, with a very concerned expression.

“Ahh.” Jeongguk rubbed his eyes and sighed. “Well, my hands are tied... but the lake cottage is cozy, and the landscapes of Ludington are beautiful during this time of year, with all the snow.” He shifted to sit cross-legged, right in front of Taehyung, who was now in the same position, their knees touching.

Jeongguk stroked Taehyung’s thighs with both palms. “You’ll like the cottage. Have you been to the town?”

“Yes, once. I went there one summer when I was a teenager. I always wanted to go back, but never could. It’s really nice. Did your parents buy the house?”

“Actually, they built it. My parents... they like to create their own special places, put their soul wherever they go, no matter how long they stay.” Jeongguk spoke fondly, focusing on his hands, while stroking Taehyung’s legs and knees.

“Then you won’t see them this Christmas. They’ll miss you in Korea, won’t they?”

“Ah! The Jeon’s are not in Korea. Right now, they must be travelling to Vanuatu or Fiji by Christmas' Eve. They’ll be in Kiribati at zero hours 2039. They want to be the first in the world to celebrate this New Year.” Jeongguk smiled at Taehyung’s shocked expression. “Yeah, well. They’re not what you’re probably thinking, no. They're not like those rich who spend their lives traveling and buying stuff, without a care in the world. In fact, this is their first vacation in years. It’s their 30th Anniversary, and they decided to take this trip together, from Thanksgiving to New Year.”

“Wow. They sound so in love.”

“Yes they are. Still.”

“Hmm. So, have they been on vacation since Thanksgiving?”

“Yeah, they came to see me on Thanksgiving. That night, we had a delicious American-Korean dinner. They left the next morning, the day you and I met.”

Jeongguk knuckled Taehyung’s chin and asked hesitantly: “Do you… want to come with me?”

Taehyung showed an inquiring look, and took Jeongguk’s hands in his own: “I’d love to.”

Jeongguk smiled, leaned and kissed him. 

“Let’s help you pack.” Said Taehyung and got up. As they walked to the bedroom, he asked:

“Jeongguk, will you show me a pic of the droid stalking you?”

Jeongguk stopped, and looked Taehyung straight in the eye. He recalled those words Connor had said to him a few days before, that Taehyung would defend him at any cost. Bile ran through his veins and his heart clenched, as a strong sensation settled in his chest. So clear, so graphic and uncluttered: a premonition.

He feared.

His inner tumult became evident to Taehyung, who approached, and cupped his face in his hands: “Hey…” He caressed his jaw and neck to calm him down. “Hey, Jeongguk, what is it? Tell me what’s wrong?”

“Why do you want to know what he looks like?”

Taehyung tilted his head to the side with a questioning look. He rubbed his palms on Jeongguk’s arms and shoulders “I just want to be alert, if I see him close. Just that.” He held him by the waist. “Hey, are you okay?”

_ No. _

“Yeah.” Jeongguk answered. His eyes moistened, and his heart pressed in his chest. “Help me pack first, I’ll show you later.”

~~

“Jeongguk, this is serious, and you’re laughing your ass off.” Taehyung giggled as he tried to control his urges to laugh. He glanced at Jeongguk, who was bent over the kitchen's counter, crying with his face stained red, showing his big bunny teeth, laughing soundlessly.

It was almost three in the morning, and Jeongguk was a bit ecstatic, probably due to the lack of sleep.

“Oh, God! I can’t.” Jeongguk stood up, and took a deep breath. He focused on the ceiling, and wiped away his tears.

“So…” Taehyung asked for the tenth time, with a smile lingering on his lips, as he gestured towards a bunch of open cabinets in the kitchen: “We don’t have any spider-killing spray?”

“Hahaha!” Jeongguk roared with laughter again, and Taehyung shook his head, and chuckled:

“Ah, okay. I give up. We’ll see if you’re this brave later, when we get there.” He turned to close the cabinet doors.

Jeongguk sipped from his glass of water and breathed, trying to soothe down.

“Ah. Relax! I hired cleaning services once a month. The house was cleaned last week, and spiders sleep through the winter. And maybe we can manage to buy some.”

“Yeah, right. We’ll be out of spray until the 27, and it’ll be your fault.” Taehyung drank all the water from Jeongguk’s glass.

“Ah, that was fun.” Jeongguk sighed. “I need to calm down now or I won’t be able to sleep.”

“Mmm, do you want a massage?” Taehyung refilled the glass.

“Sure! But first, I want to do something. Come on!” He took his hand. “I won’t be here for the next ten days, and I’ll miss this.” He led Taehyung to his music corner.

The android’s eyes twinkled when, for the first time since they met, he saw Jeongguk sitting on the bench and lifting the piano fallboard. He stood still, his mouth agape, holding the glass of water in his hand.

Jeongguk smiled, cleared his throat, and said: “Taehyung: this is my apology to your arachnophobic spirit, for my lack of spray.”

Taehyung moved to the side of the piano, where he could get a better view of the scene. He leaned on his left elbow, and on the lid. His eyes glowed brightly when he heard the chords of an old song, he knew very well. He felt captivated as he watched Jeongguk, and listened to his soft and beautiful voice. The boy’s fingers ran gracefully over the keys. He smiled, and peeked at him from time to time, and he closed his eyes in the most expressive parts of the song:

_그런_ _말은_ _하지_ _마_ _제발_

_그_ _말이_ _더_ _아픈_ _거_ _알잖아_

_사랑해줄_ _거라며_ _다_ _뭐야_

_어떤_ _맘을_ _준_ _건지_ _끝내_ _모를_

_솔직히_ _말해줄래_ _제발_

_너라면_ _다_ _믿는_ _거_ _알잖아_

_네_ _말대로_ _언젠가_ _나도_

_나_ _같은_ _누군가에게_ _사랑받게_ _될까?_

_ [Don’t say those words, please _

_ You know those words hurt me even more _

_ You said you would love me, so what is this _

_ You don’t know what kind of heart you gave me _

_ Please be honest with me _

_ You know I'll believe anything you say _

_ Just like you said _

_ Do you think that I will ever be loved by someone like me?] _

Jeongguk finished the song, then placed his hands gently on the keys, as he raised his eyes, meeting Taehyung's dark and unreadable gaze. The android breathed serenely while he looked him in the eye.

Taehyung sat on the bench, and held him by the waist, gently rubbing his knuckles over his jaw. He kissed him fervently and rested their foreheads together, whispering: 

“Are you real?” 

“Do I feel real to the touch?”

Taehyung didn’t stop touching and kissing Jeongguk, until they were both gasping for air.

“What are you doing working for the police? You should be performing on stage.” He tucked his locks behind his ears.

Jeongguk smiled, with sleepy eyes, hummed and kissed Taehyung’s cheek: “Let’s go to bed. I’m pretty sure you have a suggestion for tonight.”

“I do.” Taehyung muttered, stroking his hair tenderly. “I suggest you get into bed, and I will cuddle you and kiss you, until you fall asleep.”

Later that night, Jeongguk found himself lying on his bed with his eyes lost somewhere in the darkness of his bedroom. He felt Taehyung's soft breathing beside him, and his mind recalled the piercing look in the android's eyes, the moment he finished singing that song.

What did that look mean?

Is it just admiration, or is it something else?

And if it is something else, is it the result of a programmed behavior?

_ Of course it is. _

But something more throbbed in the back of Jeongguk's mind: the way his heart raced when Taehyung looked at him that way, and when he kissed him; and the warmth that flooded his heart when he suggested just laying on bed and cuddling.

He had met Taehyung a month ago.

Just a month and Jeongguk already felt attached.

This thought was the real reason for his sleeplessness.

~~

“How do you want to fuck?”

Taehyung said, with one arm raised and resting on the open hatch of the Suv, and the other on his hip, in a "demand an answer" attitude.

Jeongguk let out a laugh that echoed through the walls of the parking lot, as he placed the luggage in the trunk. “Would you help me?” He said, as he tried to lift Taehyung’s heavy suitcase.

“You’re doing pretty well by yourself.” Taehyung winked at him. “Seriously, we’ll run the auto, right? You don’t expect us to drive a whole four hours. We slept just a few. It isn’t safe.”

“Yeees. We’ll run the auto. Now: will you help me?”

“Okay, okay, old man.” Taehyung helped him lift the suitcase.

“And why do you worry about sleeping a little? You’re supposed to function with or without sleep.”

“Yes. What I’m saying is: we’ll be in this car for four hours, so…” Taehyung raised his eyebrow.

“So? Have you run out of suggestions?”

“Not really. I just want to know if you have something in mind.”

Jeongguk smiled, and closing the hatch of the Suv he said: “Yes. I’m gonna bang you for four hours.”

Actually, the trip took three hours and thirty two minutes, and they slept the entire time.

Jeongguk woke up to the sound of the engine slowing down, and feeling soft fingers tracing one of his palms. He slowly opened his eyes, and saw Taehyung staring out the window absently.

He was silent for a moment, lying comfortably in the half-reclined seat of the car. He regarded Taehyung’s features, drawn against the amazing landscape that unfolded outside the car.

Ludington is an old town located on the east shore of Lake Michigan. The lake gives way to beautiful and warm beaches that during the summer are packed with tourists, although people visit the town throughout the year.

There are many ways to spend time in Ludington. Jeongguk had dozens of childhood memories: fishing, hunting, boating, competing in sailboats races, or just swimming in Lake Michigan, or Lincoln Lake, near whose shores is Jeongguk’s cottage, ten-minute drive north of the town center.

During winter the shores of Lake Michigan, downtown, and inland lakes are covered in snow.

The scenery was truly beautiful, and Taehyung was much more enthralled, when the Suv turned right from Lincoln Avenue to Lakeshore Drive, and the Breakwater Lighthouse was captured for a brief instant, rising against the snowy shoreline, with heavy waves crushing at its back.

It was a clear morning, the sky was deep blue and the sun was bright.

Jeongguk squeezed Taehyung’s hand tighter, and the latter snapped out of his inner state and greeted him: “Hey! We’re here.”

The car then turned and entered a road through a snowy forest, at the end of which the cottage was displayed.

Jeongguk beamed when he saw the house: cozy and adorable, blending gracefully with the landscape. The blue lake and its crystal white shores could be seen behind it.

The house had two levels, a mezzanine, and a row of balconies on the second level. There was a porch at the back of the house, from where you could see the lake and a dock covered in snow.

Jeongguk’s mind was full of memories of his childhood when they arrived at the place. From the endless summers he spent with his family and cousins visiting from Korea; of lovely winters and Christmas in front of the fire. He always liked that cottage and that town.

His parents were modest. They were wealthy enough to own a luxury country home anywhere in America, but they chose to have this: a pleasant cabin nestled in the woods by the lake, in a small town near the big city.

The Jeons were known in Ludington, although Jeongguk hadn’t come to the town in years.

“Yes, now we’re here.” Jeongguk winked at Taehyung, who was admiring the scenes outside the car with an awestruck expression.

The interior of the cabin was as adorable as its façade. 

As soon as they entered, Jeongguk opened the wooden shutters that covered the large windows in the house, and the daylight poured in, bringing the place back to life.

The floors and walls were made of wood, and the furniture and decoration had been done in natural colors. There was a stone fireplace on the first floor, which was placed in the middle of the room, and large shaggy alabaster and pearl rugs.

The place was, indeed, unbearably charming.

Jeongguk was standing in the middle of the main room, located on the second floor, while admiring the lake through the big windows. He pondered in his mind that this was the first time he visited the house, after becoming its legal owner. He turned to look at Taehyung, who was leaning against the doorframe.

“You like it?”

Taehyung just smiled.

“Let’s unpack then.”

After unpacking, settling in, and lighting the fire, they decided to drink hot chocolate on the porch at the entrance. Jeongguk sat in the rocking chair while Taehyung wandered around, looking at the house.

“How will Christmas be Christmas without decor?”

Jeongguk sighed: “Your programmed brain is too structured, Christmas tree is overrated.”

“Yes. But no lights? And no frills? This house is beautiful! And you have stuff in the attic.” Taehyung observed the house’s façade, tilting his head back to catch a better look of the roof.

“Ahh, you’re like a child. I’m tired. Let’s rest. We need to buy some groceries in the little shops, and then go sightseeing and greet the residents. There’s a big Christmas tree in the center of town.”

“Bring your lazy ass and help me find the lights!” Taehyung pulled him by the sleeve.

They managed to find several strings and fairy-lights curtains, and installed them around the cottage. They also decorated a pine tree at the entrance.

After hanging up the lights, they continued to admire their work, standing on the snowy pier at the back of the house.

“Satisfied?” Jeongguk asked with both hands resting on his hips. The lighting was perfect. The cabin was so beautiful that it didn’t need anything else to delight.

“Not really.” Taehyung crossed his arms over his stomach, and looked at Jeongguk with an accusing expression. He raised an eyebrow and smirked: “You didn’t keep your word, Jeongguk. I never thought you were like this.” He shook his head.

Jeongguk had panicked, but this far, he knew Taehyung’s character well, and the android’s playful eyes meant no resentment at all. He chuckled. “Please help me jog my memory. I’m only human.”

“You owe me four hours of banging.”

“Hahaha!” Jeongguk leaned on his belly while laughing. He had totally forgotten about that. “Well, it was actually like three and a half hours.” He reached over and grabbed Taehyung by the hips: “Do I pay you at night? Pick the bed you like, and I’ll fuck you there. Or the rugs, they’re pretty soft. The couch and…”

“The bathtub on the second floor seems spacious.” Taehyung interrupted.

Jeongguk’s eyes gleamed. “Then the bathtub will be.”

~~

The streets of Ludington were crowded that afternoon. The whole town was outside, taking advantage of the last hours before Christmas Eve. Neighbors greeted each other, and some still bought gifts in the small shops, or just walked around admiring the decorations. Many of them were outside just to chat and cheer.

It was cold, even though the sun had shined all day, but the air was refreshing.

The sky was still clear when Taehyung and Jeongguk reached the town center, just a couple of hours before sunset. They bought some groceries for the weekend, and put them in the trunk. Unfortunately, they found no spider spray, which was bad news for Taehyung, and Jeongguk’s reason for laughing.

Jeongguk ran into acquaintances on every corner. He chatted happily with them, and caught up on the news from the past two years. The older ones enthusiastically questioned him about the Jeons’ whereabouts and wellbeing, and the younger ones greeted him with big hugs, and congratulated him and Taehyung, assuming they were dating.

Taehyung wore a woolen cap that, along with his hair, covered his temple, completely hiding the circle of light, so people didn’t notice he was an android. And Jeongguk didn’t feel like correcting them.

In fact, he was more concerned with the admiring looks his acquaintances showed, when he introduced them to Taehyung. Some of them blatantly flirted with him.

Jeongguk smiled cynically and grabbed Taehyung by the hip, or gave him a kiss on his cheek and ear, to scare away the most brazen ones.

These actions did not go unnoticed by the audience, nor by Taehyung, who witnessed with amusement as Jeongguk claimed him as his property.

It was after six when they found themselves listening to an impromptu group of singers, who had gathered by the big Christmas tree, and were joyfully singing carols. The sky was dark now and full of stars.

Two Korean men, among the singers in the group, captured Jeongguk’s attention. Their voices were beautiful and stood out from the rest of the choir. One was tall and very handsome, so handsome it looked like his face had been sculpted by an artist. The other was less tall, but heavenly gorgeous. He had the face and the voice of an angel.

Jeongguk held Taehyung by the waist from behind the entire time they were enjoying Christmas carols. He whispered the tunes into his ear, and nibbled his earlobe, every now and then.

“Those guys are cute.” He uttered.

“Hmm. You slut.”

It seemed that their presence captured the attention of the Korean boys as well, because they were secreting between the melodies, and always looking in their direction.

At some point, Jeongguk turned to scan his surroundings and spotted a familiar place on the opposite side of the street.

“The Mitten Bar.” He uttered unintentionally.

“Bar?” Taehyung turned to look at the place. It was a striking small pub across the street.

“Wow. It looks so different.”

“Let’s go inside.” Suggested Taehyung. 

Once inside the pub, a pretty waitress came over to take their orders and invited them to a free table.

The place was really cool. People were drinking and laughing in their best spirits at the bar. Two guys with their guitars played a famous song on a stage in the background. It was an oldie, so Jeongguk quickly recognized it:

_ “Oh, I've been shaking _

_ I love it when you go crazy _

_ You take all my inhibitions _

_ Baby, there's nothing holding me back _

_ You take me places that tear up my reputation _

_ Manipulate my decisions _

_ Baby, there's nothing holding me back _

_ There's nothing holding me back _

_ There's nothing holding me back” _

The pub had its own special vibe.

Taehyung ordered two local beers and chips, because Jeongguk was dumbfounded admiring the place.

“It’s so different.” He said when the waitress left. “It was like old before, like... mm nice, but older people drinking, you know? Now it’s so fresh.”

“It’s great!” Taehyung moved his gaze all over the place. “It must be, 'cos all these people are here on Christmas Eve, and they don’t seem to be in the mood to leave any time soon. It’s funny that the bartenders are Korean.” He gestured to the two barmen, who chatted and laughed with costumers, while they expertly prepared drinks. “Hmm… I like this town. Loads of cute Korean boys.” He smirked at Jeongguk’s unfunny expression.

“Looks like you’re eager to sleep on the porch tonight.” Jeongguk arched an eyebrow.

Taehyung laughed, and drank from his beer.

Jeongguk didn’t know the two barmen. He was surprised to see how the residents of Ludington had changed. He remembered the only Korean kid he knew in town, back then when he was younger. They had shared many winters together. The kid lived in Ludington, so he was usually outside the country during the summer holidays.

But that boy had gone abroad to study and, although he and Jeongguk were good friends, they didn’t keep in touch, and Jeongguk hadn’t seen him in years.

Jeongguk stood up to fetch some napkins that the waitress had left behind on an empty table next to theirs. The thoughts of his Korean friend still haunted his brain. He stepped back and almost tripped over a person passing by, so he turned to apologize:

“So sorr… mmm? Namjoon??” Jeongguk kept his mouth agape and both arms loosely on either side.

“What? Jeongguk? Kookie?... Kookie! You’re here!”

The tall handsome boy, on whose foot Jeongguk almost stepped, gave Jeongguk a heartfelt hug.

“Oh my God!” Jeongguk’s eyes sparkled and his face shined. “I can’t believe it! I… hyung! You won’t believe me. This is so frickin’ freak! I was thinking of you right now!”

“You mean, now-now?” Namjoon chuckled. “Ah! That’s what I call Karma, man!”

“Yeah. I cannot believe it." Jeongguk shook his head and smiled. "Oh, this is Taehyung.” He introduced the two boys, and they shook hands kindly.

“Very nice to meet you Taehyung.” Namjoon greeted him.

“Nice to meet you too. Always a pleasure to meet _ Kookie’s _ friends.” Taehyung highlighted the nickname teasingly, while looking at Jeongguk. The latter narrowed his eyes.

Namjoon shook his head in disbelief. He stood there for a few moments, his hands resting on his hips. “I really can’t believe you’re here.” He turned and yelled at one of the bartenders: “Hey, Yoongles! Bring us a round of soju.” Then he sat on a chair at the table. “Kookie in person. I thought you didn’t come here anymore.” 

Jeongguk sighed “Ah, I’d love to come more often. But you? Are you visiting?”

“Man, I’ve been here for two years.”

“What? I haven’t been here in two years!” Jeongguk said.

“Exactly.” Namjoon remarked, and the three men laughed.

“So, you came back from abroad, and you’re living here?”

“Yes. I was so fucking homesick, you wouldn’t believe it. I did so many things after studying: I traveled, lived in Seoul for three years, and finally decided I wanted to come back for good.” The bartender came over with the soju. “Hey! This is Yoongi, my good friend. Yoongles: these are Jeongguk, my Kookie, and Taehyung.”

“Nice to meet you guys!” Yoongi greeted them in Korean. He was leaning over the table, setting the bottles and glasses. “Kookie? So, you're the Jeons kid? Joon remembers you every time we pass your house.” He smiled. “Are you staying there? Joon thought you could’ve sold the house.” He looked at Namjoon, and repeated: “You thought he could’ve sold the house.”

“Yeah. It’s been empty since I got back. Although, everyone guaranteed that you were still its owner.” Namjoon said.

“Yes, I am.” Jeongguk affirmed. “I’ve just been working hard, and I haven't been able to come as much as I want.”

“He’s a workaholic.” Taehyung remarked.

“That’s bad for your health kid.” Yoongi was still a little bent, and brought his face close to Jeongguk’s: “You should have fun.”

“Yoongiiiii!” Yelled the other bartender from the bar, signaling that he needed help with the drinks.

“Ahh. Hobi needs help. Excuse me guys!” Yoongi straightened up. “Ah, I should have fun.” He declared and left.

“Mmm, it's nice to hear that you keep the house.”

“I wouldn’t sell it."

“Yeah, I know, but it’s been a long time, so I thought perhaps you’ve changed. But you seem the same. All grown up, of course.” Namjoon poured them a round of soju. “You know I bought this place?”

Jeongguk looked at him in amazement.

“This is _ your _ bar?” Taehyung asked. “Wow! I gotta tell you: it’s perfect. It’s got that vibe.”

“Thanks Taehyung! Anyway, it’s not entirely mine. I have an equity partner. He should be here right now, I don’t know where the hell he is.”

Namjoon turned in an attempt to locate said equity partner, somewhere in the pub.

“I convinced him to come with me to America. He lived in Seoul, and was bored as shit, so I suggested that he come here with me, but to take it easy, of course, see how things were going, and then decide whether he wanted to stay or leave. I tell you: he loves this town. He told me the other day that he will live here forever, and be the Mayor.”

The boys laughed. It seems that Namjoon’s friend was pretty special. He kept talking:

“When we first arrived, I had the idea to do business, but I didn’t know what. A week had passed when Seokjin, that’s my equity partner, came one day and said that the butcher had told him that the Siegel’s, you remember the former owners, right?” - Jeongguk nodded - “Well, they were leaving for Florida, because they were feeling old and tired, and he, Seokjin, wanted to buy the pub. He talked to them and made a deal!”

Namjoon chuckled: “Ah! We had only been here a week, only a week, and the whole town already knew who Seokjin was, and he had a deal to buy a pub at a cheap price.”

“Hahaha, some people are meant to be friendly and successful in business.” Jeongguk drank his soju.

“Yes. He’s one of those.”

“And what about the bartenders? Did they also come from Korea?” Taehyung asked.

“Yoongi lived in Seattle. He and Jin were friends in Korea. Jin contacted Yoongi when we arrived, and he came to visit us with Hoseok, his best friend in America.” Namjoon gestured to the second bartender, and added fondly: “They stayed with us. We needed personnel and furthermore, Yoongi and Jin cook like heaven, so we also have good Korean food to spoil the clients during the day.”

Jeongguk looked at Namjoon, affectionately. He remembered how his friend always had the ability to gather people around him.

When they were younger, kids got together to do all sorts of things: play, skate, snowboard, boating, race, and go clubbing as teenagers. And Namjoon was always the center of all of that. Kids were drawn to him, magnetically.

He was an inspiring boy, who encouraged others to pursue their goals in life and fulfill them. People were attracted to his personality. He was a natural leader. Jeongguk understood that this was the reason why the rest had decided to follow him and stay.

“Hey!” Namjoon suddenly yelled, in the direction of the bar. “Hobi, come meet my friends!”

Namjoon also introduced Hobi, and all the men at the table continued to talk joyfully.

Jeongguk told Namjoon how his parents flew back to Korea; that he was great at this job in the Police; and that he was the target of a diabolical android, one of the leaders of the droid revolution; and how he was forced to take a vacation.

Hobi had returned to a grumpy Yoongi, who was yelling that he didn’t have ten hands to do all the work alone; Namjoon was still chatting with the two boys at the table; and no music was played on stage, when the main door opened, and a gorgeous tall Korean man walked in, making a great noise. He stood at the door, opened his arms, and shouted:

“I'M BACK!”

The pub patrons clapped and hissed, and the man bowed solemnly.

“What an entrance!” Namjoon chuckled, as the handsome man approached their table. “Guys, this is my friend: Kim Seokjin.” Namjoon made the proper introductions, and briefed Jin about Jeongguk and Taehyung.

“Kim Seokjin at your services.” Jin said.

Jeongguk shook his hand and noticed that he was one of the two men, who were singing by the tree. The handsome tall one, with the beautiful voice and the face sculpted by an artist.

Jin brought an empty chair and sat down.

“So, you guys come from Detroit? Christmas is so cool there. They put up tons of decorations and millions of lights!” Jin spoke enthusiastically. “Do you guys sing?”

“Kim Seokjin, BEHAVE YOURSELF!” Namjoon frowned. “He’s an avid singer, and will drag you to the tree, if you dare say yes.”

Taehyung and Jeongguk exchanged knowing glances.

“We suck at it.” Said Jeongguk.

“Oh. That’s a pity.” Jin's voice sounded disappointed.

“Another round of soju for the ladies.” Hoseok came with the liquor and extra glasses. This time he sat with Jin in the same chair, both of them settling their butts to fit better, “Let me hide here for a sec until Yoongi finds out. Tonight we’re full.” 

“Yeah, I noticed.” Jeongguk spoke to Namjoon: “This bar is so cool hyung, people are here when they should probably be home having dinner on Christmas Eve”

“Yes. We’re very popular. That’s my fault.” Jin lifted his chin and arched an eyebrow, with self-satisfied expression.

“Hahaha, it sure is, Jin hyung. You’re charming.” Namjoon said.

Jeongguk felt that he had known these men forever, in the same way that he knew Namjoon. They were so sparkling and friendly. They lit up the place, and thrilled the people around.

At some point Taehyung asked Jin: “So, do you really want to be the Mayor of Ludington?”

“I’m going to be!” Jin stood up, and lifted the glass of soju in his hand:

“People of Ludington: VOTE FOR ME!!”. He yelled, and emptied his glass.

“YEEEEAAAAH”

A huge ovation rumbled through the pub’s walls. People were clapping and showing their thumbs up.

“Jin for Mayor!!!” Several voices and the sound of glasses hitting were heard, coming from different corners of the bar.

“Kim Seokjin: this song is for you.” The guy on stage spoke and began to sing:

_ “Do you ever feel like a plastic bag _

_ Drifting thought the wind _

_ Wanting to start again _

_ Do you ever feel, feel so paper thin _

_ Like a house of cards _

_ One blow from caving in…” _

The crowd was ecstatic, hissing and screaming. They were pointing at Jin while singing the chorus of the song:

_ “Baby you're a firework _

_ Come on let your colors burst _

_ Make 'em go "Oh, oh, oh!" _

_ You're gonna leave 'em fallin' down down down…” _

Jin encouraged them enthusiastically, and danced on his spot.

Suddenly he stopped and stared at a boy coming up on stage:

“Where the fuck was that boy?” Seokjin asked the air, as the cute boy on stage took the mic, and started singing the catchy part, dancing sensually and pointing at Seokjin, while the crowd cheered him on:

_ “Boom, boom, boom _

_ Even brighter than the moon, moon, moon _

_ It's always been inside of you, you, you, _

_ And now it's time to let it through _

_ 'Cause baby you're a firework _

_ Come on show 'em what your worth _

_ Make 'em go "Oh, oh, oh!" _

_ As you shoot across the sky-y-y…” _

When the song ended, the men at the table clapped gleefully. Hobi saw Yoongi gesturing that he needed him back at the bar.

“Ah… fuck. Duty calls.” Hobi left again.

“I’d support you, but I suck at it.” Namjoon patted Hobi’s shoulder, as he walked past the bar.

“Hey you! Bring your ass here!” Jin yelled at the cute boy who was still on stage, talking flirtatiously with the guitarist.

“This is Jimin.” Namjoon said when the boy arrived at the table. “Jimin, these are Taehyung and Jeongguk.”

“We saw you outside when we were singing by the tree.” Jimin spoke as he greeted them. “Do you remember, Jin?”

“Damn! You’re right! These are the same guys!” Jin replied.

Jimin rolled his eyes “Ahh, Jin. He never pays attention to anything.” He sat with Jin in his chair. “Two young and handsome Koreans never go unnoticed.” He declared shamelessly.

“It’s funny, we thought the same.” Jeongguk confessed and wrapped his arm around Taehyung, while the others laughed at the confession.

After a couple of hours, that went by super fast with all the talk and liquor, Yoongi and Hobi joined them. The seven men talked about how Ludington had changed over the past few years, how its people had stayed the same: simple, unpretentious and happy; and how they all considered themselves lucky to live there.

“So, what is Jimin’s story?” Jeongguk asked.

Jimin displayed his angelic smile. He couldn’t answer because Yoongi said first: “Jimin fell out of the sky one day. He walked into the bar, very thirsty. I made him an ‘Old Fashioned’, and he didn’t want to leave anymore.”

“Hahaha, he got stuck here.” Hobi said.

“You dumb! Joon: tell my story.” Jimin smiled, and smoothed Namjoon’s hair with his palm.

“Well, Jimin likes to study. A lot.” Everyone laughed at Namjoon's mocking voice. “Yes. Like “A lot”. He has studied arts, math, astronomy, music, 20th Century History,… well like a lot. But he can’t work.” Jimin giggled along with the others. “Yeah, too bad. Actually, he doesn’t like working, so, he left Busan and lived in various places, studying all the time, of course. He came to live with his uncle on his mother’s side, to study, again, at the University of Michigan. This time… what was it Jimin?”

“English language and literature.” Jimin declared seriously, as the rest giggled.

Namjoon continued: “But he never got there. He had the smart idea to visit Ludington first and fortunately, he found us here, a year and a half ago, when we were starting this business, and he just… didn’t want to leave.”

“He got stuck here.” Hobi repeated his earlier statement, smiling fondly at Jimin.

“I did.” Jimin agreed.

Jeongguk was clear about the influence Namjoon had on people.

Jimin didn’t want to leave. He _got_ _stuck_ there.

Jeongguk and Taehyung returned home at almost midnight.

They made arrangements with the boys to meet again on the 26th, and do something fun.

Christmas Eve had been priceless.

Later that night, they were at the back of the cottage, enjoying the calmness of the lake. A large full moon was reflected off the surface of the water, along with the Christmas lights that adorned the house.

Jeongguk was sitting in the rocking chair with Taehyung on his lap. They were both covered with a thick blanket.

“Really? No bath in the tub today?” Jeongguk hugged him tight, and leaned his head against his chest.

“I couldn’t do it. I think I'll just take a short shower. Let’s do it tomorrow, I’d probably fall asleep in the tub. I think we both would.”

“You’re right.” Jeongguk grabbed him by the neck, and kissed him. “I didn’t get you a Christmas present.” He said next, with an apologetic look.

“Neither I do.” 

“What do we do… with this Christmas then?”

“Mmm. I have an idea: you can ask me for something and I can ask you for something. It doesn’t have to be a material thing, and it doesn’t have to be right now, we can collect it later."

“Mmm, good. Then I’ll think about what I want to ask you.” Jeongguk kissed him again, and sneaked his hands under his clothes. “Mmm, sex doesn’t count, does it? I mean, we can have that for free.”

“You can ask for sex if you want, but, sure! You can always have it for free.” Taehyung slipped his hands under Jeongguk’s shirt and kissed him, whispering on his lips: “You’re so hot.”

“Let’s go to bed. You’re turning me on.”

“Christmas fuck?” 

A completely naked Taehyung rested across the bed, his butt was on the edge of the mattress, and his knees were bent. Jeongguk lubed his cock, standing naked at his feet. 

Taehyung took a deep breath, and let out a groan.

"Mm... impatient."

Jeongguk lined up his cock with Taehyung and leaned in, placing his hands on either side of his body. He pressed the head of his cock against his hole.

“Mm… you make me so horny.” Taehyung whispered the words over Jeongguk’s lips, wide-eyed.

Jeongguk remained there, still looking into his eyes,and grinned on his lips:

“You misbehaved today, Taehyung.”

“What’re you saying?”

“Mm. You flirted with the whole town. With the young and the old. You’re a slut!” Jeongguk smiled widely.

Taehyung scanned his face up and down. “They flirted with me. It’s not my fault this is a horny town.”

Jeongguk laughed loudly.

“Now come, and fuck me hard.” Taehyung pressed both hands on Jeongguk's butt and pulled him, as he spread his legs wider, to give him better access.

But Jeongguk didn’t move an inch. He kept only the head of his cock inside of Taehyung's hole.

“Mm. I think you should be punished.” 

Taehyung’s jaw dropped: “Should I?” He smiled, but his expression quickly grew to one of pain and lust, as Jeongguk thrust his cock inside him in one motion.

Jeongguk lingered, watching Taehyung’s face: brow furrowed, mouth open, eyes closed and small tears hunging from their inner corners.

Taehyung opened his wet eyes, and Jeongguk pulled out his cock and thrust again, this time harder.

“Mm yeah… again.” Taehyung moaned, eyes wide open.

Jeongguk did it again. And again. His desire grew as he looked at the expression on the other's face. Taehyung looked so beautiful, and his eyes begged for more, every time Jeongguk pulled back. He clenched his hole around the other’s cock, and carved his nails in his biceps, eyes shut and pained expression, every time Jeongguk shoved his cock inside, mercilessly. 

“You really need to be punished, bad boy.” 

He fucked Taehyung hard. The bed slid on the wooden floor with the force of his thrusts, his knees were hitting the side of the mattress. He kept his eyes on Taehyung the entire time, hyped just by the sight of his gorgeous flushed face; his wet lips that spoke words of lust, begging him for more; his cock leaking precum, full hard between their bodies.

“Yes, right there.” Taehyung faltered, almost out of breath, intending to smile but barely accomplishing the task: “I’m a good boy, your neighbors are horny.”

Jeongguk couldn’t contain his laughter. He kept fucking Taehyung, trying to control his shaking body.

“Shut up, and beg!” He said, his voice quivering.

Taehyung grabbed him by the buttocks, and pulled him towards his body, as he whispered in a pleading sexy voice, uttering each word slowly:

“Mm… yes. Please, fuck me hard. _ Kookie_…. _ Kookie_…”

He highlighted the nickname and smirked:

”_Kookie... Koooookieee._”

Jeongguk gave up. He sprawled over Taehyung’s body, shaking with laughter, as he hid his face in the curve of his neck.

“Ah, you’re mean! Bad boy, bad boy!”

“Hahaha, _Kookie _ baby. I like it though.” Taehyung gently stroked Jeongguk’s hair. “Okay, don’t stop. Now fuck me for real.”

“I WAS fucking you for real!” Jeongguk shouted, and raised his head to look at him, his expression angry. 

Taehyung clenched his hole around his cock, took Jeongguk's hand and wrapped it around his own length.

“Touch me.” Taehyung looked into his eyes “Fuck me, Jeongguk.” He kissed him, tugging his locks firmly at the back of his neck.

Jeongguk fucked him, and jerked his cock.

Taehyung wrapped his legs around Jeongguk’s hip, leaving no space between their sweaty bodies, and murmured in his ear:

“Yes, like this. Please… please. Fuck me hard Jeongguk. Punish me any way you want.”

He spoke seriously this time, and Jeongguk felt like he was losing his mind, as he heard him repeat: “Please, I’m begging you.”

Jeongguk grabbed the hairs on the top of his head with both hands, and pressed his body against the bed, barely letting him breathe. He pushed his cock inside of him savagely, as he felt Taehyung’s hardness rubbing his abs.

Taehyung groaned desperately, completely excited, pleading, and calling out Jeongguk's name.

“Cum for me, bad boy, show me how much you like my cock.”

Taehyung quivered, and cum between their bodies, while breathlessly whispering into Jeongguk's ear: “Harder Jeongguk, make me lose my senses.”

Jeongguk fucked him, lost in ecstasy, driving him through oversensitiveness. 

“Break me, baby, do it.”

Taehyung's words made him cum so intensely that his vision clouded.

Dizzy, he hid his face in the crock of Taehyung’s neck, his sweat soaking the blankets. Taehyung stroked his back gently, as he soothed his own breathing, his eyes closed.

Jeongguk raised on his elbows, and looked at him. His heart skipped a beat, when Taehyung stared back at him, and that unreadable expression showed in his eyes again: the same he had that day, when Jeongguk played the piano for him. His silky lashes and perfect thick brows deepened the look of his dark green eyes.

Jeongguk felt trapped, as he looked into those eyes that glowed in the dark, like the ocean at night.

Taehyung bit his lower lip, and it seemed like he was caging words behind his teeth. He swallowed and spoke:

“Happy Christmas Jeongguk.”

“Happy Christmas Taehyung.”

Jeongguk wanted to say more.

He feared he wanted to say more.

~~

Jeongguk woke up the next morning, frowning at the abundant light streaming through the large bedroom windows.

_ Fuck! We didn’t close the curtains last night._

It wasn’t that early. It was most likely after eleven, he thought, considering the position of the sun outside.

Taehyung groaned and moved. He was shielded under the blankets, covered from head to toe. He slid the covers down, peeking out, and exchanged glances with Jeongguk.

“Good morning.” Jeongguk smiled.

Taehyung smiled back at him, and Jeongguk noticed that something had captured his attention, because Taehyung shifted his sleepy gaze to the side, as if trying to focus the wall behind him. He sat up straight on the bed abruptly, and with a look of crazed panic, he pointed his finger at a black dot that contrasted against the white wall, while yelling:

“A SPIDER!”

~~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Songs in this chapter:  
Ending Scene, IU  
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rh5ok0ljrzA  
  
There's Nothing Holding Me Back, Shawn Mendes  
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dT2owtxkU8k  
  
Firework, Katy Perry  
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QGJuMBdaqIw  
  
Published: 2019-12-24


	5. New Year Insight

Another clear sunny morning rose over the snowy landscapes of Ludington on Christmas day. The warm yellow sun and cool breeze revitalized the city, and renewed the energies of its residents who, at this time of day, were just waking up, having brunch, or joyfully watching the kids play with their brand-new toys.

Lake Michigan had dawned so calm with no waves crashing on its shores, unlike the previous windy day.

The surroundings of the cabin relished the same tranquility, except for the two noisy guys who attempted to make a snowman, but were constantly distracted, and ended up playing or fighting in the snow.

The snowman had been Taehyung’s idea. He demanded to be pampered the whole day, after being exposed to that terrifying experience of waking up to a spider on the wall.

“You’re morally obliged to help me get through this day.” He declared, rather laughing than scared, after seeing Jeongguk get out of bed, and bend down to pick up a slipper to kill the menacing arachnid that was resting on the wall, showing off his incredible bare butt.

“How do you keep that ass so fucking hot?” He asked, when the other came back to bed to check on him.

“Best training is to fuck constantly.” Jeongguk answered with a smile, and Taehyung flung on him and kissed his entire body. He squeezed and bit that perfect shaped ass, and ended up banging him against the antique white dresser that proudly furnished the main room.

Making a five foot snowman was a challenge, even though they had all the necessary items and were well dressed for the job: scarves, beanies, gloves, snow boots and jackets. But eventually they succeeded, and the charming traditional character proudly stood near the main entrance of the cabin, wearing a beret and scarf.

A big carrot was the snowman’s nose, as usual. Two scoops of Swiss chocolate ice cream were its eyes, and two black buttons its pupils.

Taehyung sat on the porch bench, warming his hands with his mug of tea. Some clouds had appeared on the horizon, and it was already cold.

Jeongguk stepped out the house:

“I found the last detail for our friend.” He pointed at the snowman and showed Taehyung his open hand.

“What the hell!?” Taehyung chuckled. “You're a freak! You’re a maniac!” He said, eyes fixed on the dead spider on his palm. 

Jeongguk assembled the spider, and its smashed legs as best he could, and a pretty decent arachnid suited on the snowman’s icy chest. He then joined Taehyung on the porch.

“Tea?” Taehyung handed him the mug.

Jeongguk thanked him and took a sip. “Still angry?” He said with a wary smile on his face.

Taehyung pursed his lips and sighed. “I was never angry.”

“Really? You threw me in the snow and fought me for five minutes, when I mentioned I had sex with Chris.” He barked and tapered his eyes. “You’re a jealous droid, did you know that?”

Taehyung raised an eyebrow: “You said you were friends.”

“We are. That was years ago, and we were drunk. We weren’t even alone. We were on vacation with the rest of our friends, in the Alps.”

“You said you only had failed relationships, but it seems to me that you are quite close to him.”

Jeongguk nibbled his lip and kept looking at him with a serious expression. This type of behaviour was most likely the result of his programmed brain. They had made him to match him in every way and, beyond that, to behave as an average human would, in this kind of relationship.

Nonetheless, his groin started to heat, and his heart pumped faster.

He liked this.

“We don’t have that kind of relationship. We never did. We just fucked that once and, luckily, that didn’t affect our friendship.” He tightened his grip around the mug and sipped.

Taehyung sighed deeply, his expression softening to some degree. He focused on the snowy porch floor for a second, and then looked at him: “Okay, maybe I’m jealous. Jeongguk, don’t judge what I’m going to say because of that, but the other day, when you were facetiming, he seemed so into you, how can you not be aware of it? And now that you tell me what happened, I dare say he’s in love.”

Jeongguk looked at him with big eyes: “Do you think that?”

“Yes.”

“Shit.”

“Yes. I’m not saying you have to do something about it, but if you don’t see him that way, then maybe you shouldn't raise his hopes. After all he’s your friend. A good friend you said.”

Taehyung took the mug from the boy's hand and their fingers brushed for a second, as he said: “But maybe you want him that way.”

“No.” Jeongguk was quick to response. He bit his lip right after, intending to control his shameful reaction. He was so eager to show the other that there was nobody else.

_ No one else. _

He tangled his fingers and rested his forearms on his thighs.

“No.” He said with a calmer voice. “I don’t feel like that, but I couldn’t bear to get away from him. He’s so good. But, I guess... I should be careful.” He stood up. “Let’s go inside and sit in front of the fire. It’s freezing.”

They ate a light meal and sat on the large comfortable sofa, in front of the fire, to enjoy the rest of the afternoon. It was getting dark outside, and a cold snowy wind was blowing and hissing.

The music was off. Jeongguk felt comfy that way, just savoring the quiet of the cottage and listening to the creak of the burning wood.

“Come.” Jeongguk gestured, inviting him to rest his head on his lap. “You asked me to pamper you all day.”

Taehyung leaned back and relaxed, with his head on the other's thighs and his eyes closed.

Jeongguk thumbed his jaw and lips, and traced the curves of his ears and neck. He kissed him. Thoughts wandered inside his head, as he gently caressed the other’s hair. He wanted to know more about that painful past, of which he had only a glimpse, a few weeks before.

They had had heartfelt conversations about their lives, but Jeongguk never brought up the issue of Taehyung’s mother again. He was afraid of making him sad, or seeing him break down, like he had done that night, when he talked about her.

And Jeongguk also retained pain in his heart. He knew the meaning of loss, and even if he never shared those painful feelings with anyone, and had declined to tell Taehyung about that past when he asked, he had the hint that one day, Taehyung would become the one to help him and free his heart from its heavy burden.

Maybe he wanted him to become that one. To be that close.

_ Because I trust him. _

Yes. It was easy to trust an android. They didn’t lie, didn’t cheat, didn’t make you believe they loved you and then left you adrift.

They wouldn’t hurt you.

Not even the deviants Connor hunted.

The cases Jeongguk worked on, that involved deviants, had one thing in common: humans misbehaved, and androids acting in defense.

Markus was an exception.

He got goosebumps when he thought of him.

That android was different. He was clever. So clever that even Connor hadn’t been smart enough to catch him. Perhaps Markus had evolved to a higher state.

But even thinking about Markus’ case, he had to admit that, although the situation was terrifying, everything Markus did, he had done out of love.

_ Love. _

“When was the last time you went to Chicago?”

Taehyung opened his eyes to the sudden question, and focused on infinity to ponder an answer.

“About four years ago.”

“You haven’t seen your family in four years?” He noticed that the android stiffened.

“I facetime with my brother in Korea from time to time.” He licked his lips. “And I’ve seen my sister in Detroit. We see each other a couple of times a year. But I haven’t been back to Chicago.”

Jeongguk bit his lips in silence. Taehyung looked him in the eye:

“My father… I haven’t seen him in four years.”

He had that feeling from before, when he heard Taehyung talk about his past, he sensed that his father was the big issue of his life.

He kept caressing his head, and tangling his fingers through his hair, brushing his scalp with his fingertips. He waited patiently for Taehyung to communicate.

“We’re not on good terms. We never were." Taehyung patted Jeongguk’s hand that was placed on his groin. “My father tried his best to be successful in life. At first, it was fine. He wanted to keep our family sheltered, secured. He began studying while working at the power plant, until he managed to become one of the CEOs. He still is. But he sacrificed my mom to achieve it. He left us.”

He closed his eyes and remained silent.

“Taehyung…”

Taehyung opened his eyes again.

“I want you to trust me. You are not required to talk about it, but I think you should.” Jeongguk’s words were sincere.

Taehyung took a deep breath.

“He didn’t leave at first, but he abandoned her. He didn’t earn that position. He had… dirty deeds. He lied and cheated, and who knows what else he did. He had businesses with other people in the company, with other executives. What happens there... that's a dark box, you really can’t tell if their deals are clean.”

He sighed.

“But they never get their own hands dirty, never. The board of directors didn’t know, they were not involved. Eventually, my father got the position he always wanted and was suddenly surrounded by a bunch of new friends. Lawyers, most of them. Lawyers are good at cleaning up all the details.”

He closed his eyes and continued:

“My mom never agreed with that, she always fought him, and things got really bad, very bad at home. That’s why I went to Boston, with a heavy heart because I was leaving my brother and sister behind.” 

Jeongguk noticed some tears in the inner corners of his eyes.

“And I left her too… But I needed to go. I needed it. I couldn’t take it anymore.”

Taehyung opened his teary eyes and gaped a couple of times. He turned to look at the ceiling, and placed the back of his hand on his forehead.

“She couldn’t take it anymore either, so they broke up, but they never got divorced. He left, and after a few months... shit!, only a few months, and that fuckin' cheater was already living with another woman in a big luxury apartment. Mom never wanted a divorce. I guess she did it for us, but I don’t get it. She started working when I was in my freshman year at MIT. I knew my father sent her money every month, but she never used it. After her death, we found out that she had all that money intact, in her bank account. She never touched a penny, not one. She was proud in the best way.”

He looked him in the eye: “He never went back to her. She wouldn’t have wanted him back, but he never tried. He didn’t care.”

Jeongguk gently stroked his belly. No words came to his mind, neither the right questions. No question was worth asking. He was silent, listening with a heavy heart.

Taehyung turned to his side and faced him, as he caressed his face: “You’re beautiful." He said, and tears rolled down his cheeks as he added: “She got sick when I was still in college, but she didn’t tell anyone until it was too advanced, and just because she couldn’t work anymore. My brother and sister took care of her, and I returned home, as soon as I finished my master’s degree.”

He sighed.

“My father never knew she was sick, until she was terminal. She didn’t want us to tell him, and I never would have, but Eun Jin begged us to do so. My brother and I never forgave him. I can’t. I still can’t.”

Jeongguk’s chest clenched tightly. He wanted to cry. Tears formed in his eyes, but he held them back. He bit his lower lip, trying to keep his chin from trembling.

“I stayed in Chicago for a couple of years after she died, for Eun Jin. My father visited her a lot, he said that he regretted everything, he was so remorseful, but I never believed him, I don’t. He left the woman he lived with, but he still has such dirty business. I stopped talking to him. I cut him out of my life. So did my brother.”

Even if the tears still wet his cheeks, Taehyung smiled as he remembered: “Eun Jin got a boyfriend, a good guy. She got engaged, and we felt she was mature enough to let her live her life. She was in good hands. Jeon Gyu went to Daegu, and I came to Detroit.”

He remained silent. The younger wiped the tears from his cheeks, and asked with a shaky voice, still trying to control himself so as not to break: “Did she get married?”

“She did, two years ago. Jeon Gyu came from Korea on the big day, I didn’t go. I wasn’t ready to meet my father again.”

Taehyung rested his palm on Jeongguk’s chest and smiled: “She’s pregnant.”

“What? Is she?” He displayed a big smile.

“Yes. I saw her on Thanksgiving Day. She came with Liam, her husband, and we had breakfast together. They gave me the good news: she’s almost five months. They even have a name...” He smiled, “Sofia.”

“So you’re going to be an uncle? Congratulations!” He spoke with a bittersweet taste in his mouth.

“Yeah, I guess I’m getting old.” He wiped some tears from his face. “Sofia…” He repeated, smiling with his eyes closed.

Jeongguk kept stroking Taehyung’s face and moved to kiss him. The android looked emotionally drained.

“Do you want hot chocolate and marshmallows?”

Taehyung opened his eyes, still red and wet: “You know my weakness, right?”

Jeongguk leaned in to kiss him again. “Let’s sleep by the fire tonight.” 

A few hours later, they were lying face to face on the shaggy rug, buried between pillows and cushions, and covered by several blankets.

“Okay, next question.” Taehyung demanded, tucking the blanket under his chin.

“Mmm… Did you ever do it in a public place?” Jeongguk looked at him curiously, and raised an eyebrow.

“Of course!”

“Ah! Yes. I remember: Daniel Yoon at the back of the dorms.” His voice was accusing, even though he didn’t mean to.

“And Ian, in the Principal’s office, when I was sixteen.” Taehyung flashed his boxy smile.

“What? Shit! That’s a thing!” Jeongguk laughed.

“Uh huh. We were in detention, and they left me and this guy Ian, who was a senior and a bully, forgotten there for three hours. But that day I learnt that the bully was his beard, because Ian was gay and didn’t want to come out. Of course he liked me.” He sighed at the memories in his head. “He was really hot, perfectly fit. I fucked him against the Principal’s desk.” He smiled as he heard Jeongguk's roar of laughter. “The director came back very late, when everyone else had already left.”

“Hahaha seems you’ve always been a slut.”

“I have. But that time, Ian almost begged me. Not that I didn’t want to. I liked him, but my concern was with the Principal, and that she might come into her office at any minute. So, I kept banging Ian with an eye on his ass, and the other fixed on the door.”

“Hahaha… that sounds super hot.”

“It was.”

“But, why were you in detention?”

“I hacked into the school’s main computer and raised the student's grades.” He paused for a minute to hear the other laugh, who was grabbing his belly and shaking. “Yeah, I got paid to do it, tens and twentys, depending on the upgrade. Some I did for free… I’m a charitable soul.”

Jeongguk was crying with laughter now.

“Don’t laugh! It was such a great feat. The whole school loved me. Also, after that day in detention, Ian waved me hello from the distance every morning, with a big smile on his face. Hahaha… My friends thought he didn’t bully me, because I raised his grades too. They didn’t know we had a horny in-detention-day at the Principal’s.”

“Ah… Taehyung, how you make me laugh."

“It cost me a semester of forced labor, because they never found out whose grades I changed, and my lips were sealed, so…” His expression turned somewhat serious, he added: “But I didn’t do it for the money, you know? I did it to piss off my father.”

“That makes perfect sense.” Jeongguk wiped the tears out of his face.

“What about you? Have you done it in a public place? Was it that time with douchy Chris in the snow?” He raised an eyebrow with an attitude.

“Hmm... not really. That doesn’t count as a public place, because we were at the back of the hut, so it was basically a private place.” He pressed his lips in a line. “So I’ve never done it in public.”

“A shame!” Taehyung yelled with a mischievous expression and nibbled his lower lip. “We really need to do something about it.”

“Yeah, someday you should help me with that.” He grinned.

“Definitely! Next: best friend ever?” He showed his square smile again, in response to the questioning look on the boy's face. “I’m soft today, don’t judge me. It’s Christmas.”

Jeongguk smiled, somewhat nostalgic.

“Mine was Jung Hyun, when I was fourteen.” Taehyung said.

“The same name as my brother.” 

“I know. CyberLife computer told me. Who was your bff?

“Josh. I was twelve.” He sighed.

“What’s the story?” Taehyung questioned curiously.

“Another day?” He almost begged, while tracing Taehyung’s cheek with his finger.

“Okay. Next question then.”

Jeongguk looked up at the ceiling, as he struggled to think of a query, worthy enough of the occasion. He locked eyes with Taehyung and asked: “Best sex you’ve ever had?”

Taehyung smiled, his eyes were fixed on Jeongguk’s. He uttered in a warm voice:

“Jeongguk.”

“Mmm.” Jeongguk regarded him.

“What about you?” 

Returning Taehyung's heartfelt gaze, he replied:

“Taehyung.”

Taehyung sighed: “Mmm...” He flicked his lashes flirtatiously and whispered in his hoarse voice: “Yeah. That first time in your room, that was...”

“Remarkable.” Jeongguk completed the sentence and nodded.

“Yes.”

“Although no one ever cuffed me to the bed, like you did the other day.”

“Hahaha! I have many more suggestions, just wait and see.” Taehyung slid a hand from under the covers and arranged the locks on his forehead. He traced the curve of his neck and rubbed his lips.

“I have something to confess tho.’” Jeongguk’s eyes widened.

“Spill!”

“This sofa...” He extended his arm over his head, and tapped the sofa they sat on earlier, in the afternoon, “this is in fact a sofa bed.”

Taehyung’s jaw dropped: “Then why the fuck are we sleeping on the floor?”

“‘Cos I’m a freak.”

~~

Hamlin Lake was always the ideal place for ice fishing, but December 2038 had been cooler than average, and the lake was even more perfect for that sport.

Namjoon had had that great idea of ice fishing with his old and new friends. Jin and Yoongi were the most interested in doing it, as it was their favorite hobby.

Also, Namjoon had stated that they needed fish to include on Monday’s menu, so they were also on a mission to return to the bar with enough fish for the hungry diners, who, after Christmas break, were going to be a lot.

They agreed to meet at the cottage, at four in the morning, and head northwest in two cars. Hamlin Lake was just a twenty-minute drive from Jeongguk’s, so they would have some hours before sunrise. Enough time to make good fishing.

“My b-butt is f-frozen. Brrr.” Jimin complained, sitting in a comfortable, but not so warm camping chair, tucked into his clothes: hat, scarf, gloves, and a large white parka-coat. 

Taehyung was sitting next to him, in the same position, with the same chilly expression. He handed Jimin the thermos full of chocolate:

“Warm up your butt with this Jimin.” He smirked.

“Hahaha. I like you.” Jimin took a sip of the hot beverage.

“Get your frozen asses off here! You wouldn’t freeze if you helped us fish!” Jin shouted from his spot, sat on a chair, between Yoongi and Hobi. 

The three looked like little toy soldiers, wearing thick black and green winter parkas. Their anglers were tilted at the same lean, and disappeared into the cracked ice. They were strategically separated from each other.

Namjoon and Jeongguk were sitting a few meters away from them. It was already dawn.

“It would be great if your parents could come next year. My dad was so hyped, when I told him I saw you, and that you still have the house. He wants to see you and your dad.” Namjoon said.

“That’d be great. I should stop by their house one of these days. I’m pretty sure mom and dad will be here this year for my birthday. I could take a few days off, and come. Wouldn’t that be awesome?” Jeongguk smiled enthusiastically.

“Ahh, Just like the old days.”

“Yeah, when we didn’t have responsibilities, and it was all fun.” Jeongguk was somewhat wistful.

“How did you meet? You and Taehyung?” 

Jeongguk pursed his lips. He wasn’t uncomfortable with the idea of other people knowing that Taehyung was a droid. Still, Ludington was a city of tradition, and not many droids roamed through its streets.

On the other hand, he liked his new friends and he didn’t mind telling them about Taehyung. But for some reason, which he still couldn’t identify, he had unconsciously decided that he would only speak on the subject, if requested.

Nevertheless, Namjoon was his good friend, and there was no way Jeongguk could avoid talking about this. If anything, he wanted to tell him and hear his thoughts.

He breathed deeply and looked at him:

“Namjoon: Taehyung’s an android.”

Namjoon opened his eyes and mouth, showing a shocked expression.

Jeongguk chuckled upon his reaction.

“CyberLife brand. He came a month ago. We’re practically living together now.” Namjoon was still astonished, so Jeongguk started to think that maybe his friend didn’t like the idea, or didn’t like the droids at all.

“I know it might be weird for old-fashioned people, but I feel good. He keeps me company, and I’m a disgrace when it comes to relationships. I’ve felt better with him than with anyone, any human."

Namjoon shook his head, waking up from his stunned state: 

“No, no! It’s not that. I… I’m not judging you at all. Did you feel judged by my reaction?”

“Not really.” He answered sincerely. “But you’re beyond astonished, so I thought maybe you didn’t like the idea.”

“Oh, I’m sorry. No, not at all. It’s not that. A lot of people have androids nowadays. Do you remember my uncle Si-Hyuk?” - Jeongguk nodded - “Well, he got a special license to marry a beautiful droid five years ago, and they’re very happy.” Namjoon smiled. “It’s not that. It’s… Kookie: he looks so fucking human!”

Namjoon gnawed his lip and shook his head, as if he still couldn’t believe what his ears were hearing. He then turned to look at Taehyung from a distance.

“Yes he does.”

“And with the circle of light covered under his locks, it’s… shit! You can’t tell the difference. He still has the circle, right?”

“Yes. Under that gorgeous silky brown hair.” Jeongguk grinned.

“Mmm… you really like him.” Namjoon turned to him again. “Shit! I caught another one!” He started to roll the reel back, to secure the fish.

“Shit!” Jeongguk shouted. “Me too!”

They struggled with their anglers and released the fishes from the hooks. Namjoon accommodated them inside a bucket filled with ice, while Jeongguk plunged the hook into the icy waters again.

“You seem happy with him.”

Jeongguk’s heart raced, when he heard that affirmation.

“I feel good. I keep forgetting that he’s an android.”

“Well, that’s normal. I would too.” Namjoon readied his angler and spoke, as if reading his mind: “You’re not obliged to tell people about it. That’s personal. I think if people don’t ask, you don’t need to tell them. But it’s your call, after all.”

“Thanks.”

Jeongguk was grateful for that statement. He was still not sure how to proceed and felt that he really needed to resolve some doubts about Taehyung that were still clouding his mind.

“How many?”

Hobi shouted from a distance.

“Seven!”

Namjoon shouted in response, and the three men chuckled. “I bet they caught at least two dozen. They’re experts.” He said.

It was a calmed and agreeable fishing time. They enjoyed the sunrise and stayed two more hours. When they were getting ready to head back downtown, Jimin insisted that they had to make a detour, and visit the lighthouse, because Taehyung hadn’t been there in years. 

They drove to the State Park, heading west to admire the Big Sable Point Lighthouse that rose pompously out of the ice and snow, its black and white strips contrasting with the deep blue of Lake Michigan.

The tower was not open to visitors during that time of year, yet the view was impressive. Taehyung took many photos of the lighthouse and the boys playing.

They returned to The Mitten Bar, and gathered the fish inside the large refrigerators, as soon as they got there, so they would be fresh and yummy the next day. 

Yoongi and Jin insisted on cooking a nice Korean lunch for their guests. They ate together, taking advantage of the quiet atmosphere that the bar enjoyed, without noise, music or clients ordering drinks. The place seemed even more spacious and clean, without the chaotic hustle and bustle.

“Hyung, you must let me return all these attention. Will you all stop by my house, one of these days?” Jeongguk asked Namjoon, as they put the dishes in the dishwasher.

“Hell yeah! I’d love to. Mmm, we’re closed on Wednesday's lunch time. We can go to your place and come back here at night for drinks.”

“Great! Let’s have a barbecue on Wednesday then!”

Jeongguk helped with the dishes, while peeping at Taehyung, who was chatting with Jimin. The latter showed him some photographs that were hung on the wall, at the back of the stage. In fact, they had been talking and laughing all day.

_ What are they talking about so much? _

Jeongguk wasn’t jealous. No, he wasn’t.

Jimin walked over and wrapped an arm around Taehyung’s shoulder for support, and jumped up, aiming to take a photo that was too high on the wall. Taehyung held him with both arms around his hips and boosted him up, helping him to complete the task. Jimin happily took the frame and showed it to Taehyung. 

_ What the fuck are they talking about so fucking much? _

Jeongguk wasn’t jealous, no.

_ Fuck, I’m jealous. _

Yes, Jimin was too hot, smart, and perfect. Every time Jeongguk heard his laugh, he felt ensnared by the charming giggles and angelic face. And Taehyung had been hearing that laugh all day and was chatting with the boy, as if they had known each other forever.

His mischievous mind now revolved around one word: _Punishment. _

He smirked.

“Jeongguk,” Yoongi snapped him out of his thoughts, “let’s walk along the beach, before you go back home. Namjoon’s house can be seen from there.”

They went to the beach to enjoy the last rays of the winter sun that afternoon. They walked along the long icy shoreline. There was little wind, and small waves were forming on the lake. The colors were neat and the air refreshing.

Namjoon’s house had been built on a heap of rocks that was visible, although not accessible, from the beach. It was big and stylish, very Seoul-like, and surrounded by trees.

“You should come for dinner on Saturday.” Namjoon wrapped his arm around his shoulder. “You know how this town dies on January 1st. We’ll be closed that day. I can show you my music collection, and we can decide if it can compete with yours.”

“Mine has grown a lot in recent years.”

“So how will we know which one is bigger, hm? We need a referee.”

Jeongguk chuckled: “Taehyung can help us with that, in a very objective way.”

“I bet he can!” Namjoon laughed.

Once back at the cottage, Jeongguk excused himself, telling Taehyung that he needed to call the Police Station.

“It’s Sunday! You really are a workaholic.” Taehyung chided him, while he was tucked under many blankets on a sofa placed in the middle of the room on the second floor, right in front of the television.

Jeongguk walked out of the cottage and headed to the dock at the back. He stood in the middle of it, his butt resting on the icy handrail.

He admired the Christmas lights that decorated the house and smiled fondly, as he thought of Taehyung and his endless enthusiasm.

He unlocked his phone to facetime.

“Hey Connor.” The android appeared on the screen. He was at the Station, closer to its main entrance.

“Hello Jeongguk. This is a surprise, although not unexpected at all.” Connor smiled.

“Ahh, don’t worry. I’m not calling you about work.”

“Really? What can I help you with?” Connor had his usual plain countenance.

“Mm… it’s about the android I bought. I wanted to ask you some things.” He peeked at the back door of the cabin, even though he didn’t expect Taehyung to come out of the house.

“Sure Jeongguk. Has it been working properly?”

“I believe so. His circle has been blue. I haven’t noticed any dysfunctional behavior or signs of deviation, but I’m curious… concerned, maybe.”

“That doesn’t sound so good. Is he there with you?”

“Yes, he’s here. I’m in Ludington. It’s about his implanted memory. He has one.”

“Is he conscious of it?” Connor tilted his head to the side.

“He is, and that’s my concern. He has this background, it’s quite sad, painful, actually.”

Jeongguk was a bit hesitant. Yet he knew he had to ask this. He needed to know Connor’s opinion about those thoughts that persistently ghosted his head the previous days.

“Mmm, you certainly know that it's very common for androids to be implanted with human-like memories, the stories of ordinary people, happy and sad.”

“I do. But he’s aware of that implanted memory, and every time he talks about certain events in that life, he gets really emotional. Deeply emotional. It’s…” - He sighed - “It’s so real Connor. So much that saddens me too. He speaks as if he had really gone through those experiences.”

He looked at the dark forest around the house. He raised his eyes to the sky, when he noticed that the snow had started to fall.

“Have you addressed the issue directly?”

“No. I would feel awkward and ahh… I shouldn't feel awkward talking to him about this, but I do. I would feel weird to ask about that fabricated life, because he talks like it’s real. Worse: I believe him. He makes me forget he’s not human.”

Connor smiled: “I see. You’ve already weighed the options, undoubtedly, haven’t you?”

“Hmm… How well made are CyberLife's androids?”

“Hahaha… yeah! That’s the first option: he’s so very well programmed that he makes you forget he’s an android.” Connor nodded on the other end.

“Yes. And I hope that’s the case. The second option is that he lived this life, that he belonged to the family he talks about, before coming to me. Maybe he was created to replace a dead relative of that family, I don’t know."

Jeongguk brushed some snowflakes away off his face.

“But CyberLife would have informed you. How accurate were your instructions on its setup, when you made your request?”

“I did not specify anything about his memory, but I reviewed my purchase, and I requested a new unit, not a formatted one.”

“So, it is not possible that CyberLife gave you an android that belonged to a previous owner. They’re extremely rigorous. They wouldn’t risk it.”

“Yes, that’s what I think. Maybe it’s just an extremely well programmed android.”

“Unless… unless CyberLife made a mistake. I never heard of a case in that Company.”

Jeongguk had feared the same. The more he analyzed the situation, the more he came to the same conclusion. But it was hard to believe that CyberLife had made that kind of mistake. Such a silly one. 

“But they have all those strict procedures, right?” He asked.

“I have seen other cases, in other companies, never CyberLife. Most of those companies don’t have those strict procedures. If that’s the case, CyberLife is not aware of the inaccuracy, for sure.”

“Yes. I thought about that too, but I’m not sure to ask them, because they would most likely want to check him... physically.” Jeongguk bit his lip and his gaze faltered.

Connor pierced his eyes: “I see... So, that’s the real issue you’re pondering Jeongguk: you don’t want to make him feel unsuitable.”

_ This fuckin smart ass. _

Jeongguk exhaled deeply, focusing on the smart-ass smirk on Connor's lips: “Yes, that’s it.”

“I suggest you keep calm. I rather believe he’s superior, and like you said, he has worked very well. You should not worry.”

Jeongguk sighed, shaking the snowflakes from his hair.

“Well, you must be right, as usual. Thank you Connor, I’m going in, my ass is getting wet.”

Connor chuckled.

“Okay Jeongguk. Rest. We can talk more when you return.”

~~

Taehyung and Jeongguk really liked the idea of using the rug for many different purposes, particularly when, after that day they spent ice-fishing with their friends, a snowstorm broke out over the town, and going out was not the most pleasant option.

Contrary to the messy cold and windy weather outside the house, the shaggy ivory rug in front of the fire felt cozy and soft.

There they dined and had lunch, and relaxed by the fire, talking and listening to their favorite music. Oldies, mostly. Their musical taste was very similar. The Jeons had a nice music collection in that house, although not as amazing as the one in Jeongguk’s apartment.

They drank and ate chips or homemade pizza, and played Monopoly and Risk. The game boards had lain for years, hidden somewhere in the dusty attic.

They also liked to play ‘liar’s dice’. Althought no one ever won the game, because every time they started to play, the blatant lies they told, made them very horny, and they always ended up having sex on the rug or the sofa bed, which, by the way, was never unfolded… just because. 

That sofa bed was now their partner in crime: there was always a bottle of lube hidden under the seat cushions.

Like so many people around the world, who are on vacation between Christmas and New Years, they didn’t know what fucking day of the week it was, and they were so happy about it.

They had a lot of things to entertain themselves with, and at the same time, they were bored as shit.

And being bored was really good.

Indeed,_ it is a truth universally acknowledged _ that two people who can get bored together and still make sense of it, are made for each other.

Jeongguk was thinking about that one of those days. He was standing by the fire, admiring the family photos on the mantlepiece, which Taehyung had adorned with an additional set of Christmas lights he found in the kitchen.

Taehyung was lying on the rug, his eyes closed, his legs bent and resting on the couch, his arms outstretched on either side. He was humming the song in the background, which Jeongguk was pretty sure Taehyung knew by heart:

_ “What day is it and in what month? _

_ This clock never seemed so alive _

_ I can’t keep up and I can’t back down _

_ I’ve been losing so much time…” _

_ Beautiful. _

“How come? You’re bored as shit, you can’t sing a proper note, you lazy ass.”

Taehyung opened one eye and closed it again quickly. He kept on humming.

Jeongguk walked to the couch as he said: “Yeah, you know what? I’m bored. I need to find something to do.”

He stood next to him and started swinging his waist with his foot.

“Hey you!”

The other remained in the same position.

“I’m talking to you.”

Taehyung smiled, still humming, eyes closed.

Jeongguk squatted down and poked his cheeks: “Hey you! Bad behavior robot. Do you want me to punish you?” He tickled his armpits and stomach. “Open your eyes! Sing decently!”

Taehyung laughed and snuggled in, trying to avoid the tickling, his eyes still closed. He never stopped humming.

“I’m boooooored!”

Jeongguk managed to place him crossed on the rug, his arms on either side of his body, like a corpse. Taehyung wasn’t fighting at all, and the sucker was still rumbling, so Jeongguk, half pissed half amused, rolled the rug with him inside, until he was immobile, like a big sushi roll by the fire.

“Nice! I can cut you like sushi now. Robot rolls?” Jeongguk laughed. “Will you give up? I have a sharp chainsaw in the back of the house.”

Taehyung looked at him, his face all flushed with joy, still humming.

Jeongguk sprawled over his body and raised his head with both hands. He joined their lips and began singing the chorus of the song:

“_Cause it’s you and me and all of the people with nothing to do nothing to lose. And it’s you and me and all of the people and I don’t know why, I can’t keep my eyes off of you. _”

Taehyung stopped humming, but Jeongguk's efforts were useless, because he never sang properly. Instead, he licked Jeongguk’s lips and tried to steal a kiss from him.

“I won’t kiss you! I won’t kiss you!” Jeongguk yelled, trying to bite his lips.

Eventually he gave up. He unrolled him, undressed him, kissed him all over, and knelt between his legs to suck his cock.

After that, he lay down on Taehyung again, and confessed:

“I love that song.”

Another of those lazy days, their friends stopped by the cottage, as Namjoon had promised earlier.

The storm had calmed down a bit, letting some yellow sun seep through the clouds. They cooked a barbecue in the back of the cottage, and stayed outside until their asses got very cold.

Namjoon recalled that Jeongguk had this old karaoke video game, so after lunch, the seven of them were all tucked into the huge double bed in the attic, singing very old songs.

“You lied to me!”

Jin told Jeongguk and Taehyung once he heard them sing.

“You evil! You’re going to hell! You have to pay for this!”

“That’s cheating.” Yoongi laughed. “Hyung! Make them sing on New Years’ Eve.”

So they were forced to agree on that.

Bored with singing, Jimin sniffed around the things in the attic.

“Guys, I know what we can do next!” He said as he dragged a storage chest full of LEGO.

“This is so fucking tidy.” Hobi said when he saw the LEGO inside the trunk, all separated into sets perfectly. Each set was in a resealable plastic bag, with its corresponding instructions.

Two hours later, an ostentatious Millennium Falcon was displayed in the middle of the room, along with two AT-ST Walkers and the Imperial Tie Fighter, a tiny LEGO Vader was inside the control booth.

Jin did not want to participate in assembling those ‘terrible war machines’, so he built the LEGO Friends Rescue Mission Boat, and he was very happy admiring his work, when he heard Jeongguk declare that this was his favorite set when he was a child.

They spent the evening and part of the night at The Mitten Bar.

Jeongguk helped with the drinks, impressing Yoongi with his skills.

“This guy is so good at this.” Yoongi said when all the boys were at the bar savouring the younger's skills.

Taehyung made a lot of new friends, mainly thanks to Jimin, because Jimin was very friendly and he introduced the clients to him, while a jealous Jeongguk constantly looked in their direction, thinking that the angel-faced boy was indeed a devil in disguise, as that old song said.

_ That cute flirty boy. _

They returned to the cabin very late, tipsy and exhausted. They showered and went straight to bed.

Jeongguk was lying face down with his arms under the pillow. He almost fell asleep. Taehyung beside him was facing the ceiling, stroking his buttocks with his fingertips.

“Winter or summer?” Taehyung asked.

“Mmm?”

“Winter or summer?”

“Mmm… summer.” Jeongguk turned his head towards him: “What about you?”

“Winter, of course.”

“Great! You must be delighted here.”

“I certainly am.” Taehyung was now circling his butt. “The sun or the moon?” 

“The moon of course.” 

“The moon? But you like summer! Why don't you like the sun more?”

Jeongguk chuckled and lifted, supporting his weight on his right bicep and his head on his palm.

“Have you seen the full moon on a clear summer night in Alaska?” 

“Never. Will you show me?”

“Sure I will.” He reached out to stroke Taehyung’s hair.

“Great! Meanwhile my favorite is the sun.” 

“So, if you like winter and I ask ‘mountain or beach’, you’d probably answer 'mountain’.”

“Yes.” Taehyung said.

“How different we are.” Jeongguk pouted.

“But I’d rather be in winter, by a lake, with my lover in a cozy cottage.” He kissed him. “Up or down?” He asked next, a naughty smile on his lips.

“Down.” 

“See? How wonderful it is that we are different.”

~~

The sun came out warm over the lake the next morning, the storm had passed, and the sky was clear and dazzling blue.

It was after ten, and the two gorgeous men were still naked in bed, fast asleep.

A Northern Cardinal came to peck at its reflection in the window.

“Wow!” Taehyung sat up, his eyes were still blurry, as he tried to focus on the amazing red bird. “We didn’t draw the curtains again. That is… it’s so pretty.”

“What?” Jeongguk sat up, somewhat faint. He frowned and hugged his waist, resting his chin on his shoulder: “Yes. It’s not that common to see them in winter, but after a storm, they sometimes go out for a couple of hours.”

A female Cardinal chirped and fluttered around its red male, outside the windows.

“Let’s go for a walk in the woods. It’s sunny.”

“Mmm that would be wonderful.” Jeongguk peck him on the cheek.

Armed with extra clothes, a camera and hot chocolate, they ventured into the woods for a couple of hours. 

It seemed that all the native fauna wanted to socialize that day, as they were all outside their shelters, looking curiously at the two peculiar visitors. 

Docile and calm, the animals took advantage of the warmth and energy of the sun, before entering fully into the second half of a winter, which had been forecast long and cold.

The couple walked several miles and saw various species of birds, squirrels, raccoons, and the supreme inhabitants of the woods: two young deer playing among the trees, unaffected by their presence. 

Taehyung captured many snapshots. He climbed a small tree to take a better photo of the deer. He miscalculated climbing down the tree and fell, hitting his poor ass against the snow.

“Ouch! That hurt!” He frowned, as a worried Jeongguk ran to his side.

“You got hurt?”

“No, just my butt.” He picked up the camera that luckily came out of the adventure unscathed.

“Come.” Jeongguk grabbed one of his hands. “You cut your hand!”

“Oh… I didn’t notice.” Taehyung looked at the two bloody scratches on the side of his hand, near the little finger. “It’s just blood.”

Jeongguk carefully examined the hand, checking that there were no traces of blue liquid.

“Yeah, it looks like it’s just blood.”

“So, that’s how the trek ends.” Taehyung smiled. “Do we have something to clean this up?”

“Sure we do.”

That was a quiet day. They enjoyed each other’s company, much more than the days before.

At night, they sat cross-legged on the rug by the fire to drink white wine.

Jeongguk checked the hand and the little bandages he had put on earlier: “It looks okay. Does it hurt?” - Taehyung shook his head - “Good! Then you can play the guitar on New Year’s Eve, otherwise Jin will kill us.”

Taehyung showed a shocked face: “Jeongguk, when is New Year’s Eve?”

The boy narrowed his eyes as if he really needed to focus to get the correct answer: “T-tomorrow I think? Let me check!”

He went to the kitchen and confirmed the date on his phone, which he had forgotten all day at the counter.

“Yes! New Year's Eve tomorrow.”

He came back and sat next to him again. 

“Shit!” He hit Jeongguk’s thigh, widening his eyes. “So today is 30?”

“Uh huh.”

“December 30.”

“Yes.” Jeongguk replied, tilting his head to the side. “What is it?” 

“Today is my birthday!” Taehyung spoke with a big smile on his face.

“No fucking way!”

“It is!”

“Fuck! But … how is it possible? Did you forget your fucking birthday?” He started to kneel beside him.

“I did not! It’s still December 30.”

“Happy fucking birthday Taehyung!” He pounced on him, hugging him with both arms and rocking back and forth, until Taehyung fell onto the carpet, with the other laughing all over him.

“Ahh… I completely forgot. I’m an old man.” 

“How old are you?”

“Twenty nine.”

“Hmm… you look much younger.” He leaned on his forearm and made a guilty face: “I don’t have a present… again.”

“Don't worry. Actually, there’s something I want to do. But we’ll have to buy some things first, tomorrow.”

“What is it?”

“Mmm it’s a surprise, but if you let me, it’ll be my birthday present.” He looked at Jeongguk’s suspicious face and added: “Oh, c’mon! You’re gonna like it.”

“O-okay."

Jeongguk remained silent, just thinking, fiddling with the buttons on the droid's shirt and then shoving his fingers under the fabric. He smirked when Taehyung got goosebumps.

“What if we take that bath you wanted and I give you an additional horny birthday present today?”

Taehyung raised an eyebrow: “You really know how to turn me on with just one question.” He grabbed him by the neck and kissed him, whispering on his lips: “Fuck me there then.”

Taehyung was right: the bathtub was very spacious. There you could perform many different positions in a quite comfortable way. Jeongguk tried them all, making a fool of himself, all naked inside there, as he filled it with hot water and bubbles.

Taehyung laughed out loud sitting on the toilet.

Jeongguk also added aromatic bath salts, and turned off the lights, lighting many candles instead. He got into the tub, disappearing completely under the water, and slid back up again, brushing the foam from his face and head, coughing.

“You’re a clown.” Taehyung smiled.

Jeongguk rested both arms on the edge of the tub: “Come, let me satisfy you any way you want.”

Taehyung stood up and undressed in front of an astounded Jeongguk, who gaped with his eyes fixed on the other’s body.

He picked up the bottle of lube from the cabinet, and stepped into the water, sitting on his lap. Jeongguk held him, one arm around his shoulder and the other under his legs, as if he were holding a little baby.

“Finger me.” He handed him the lube.

Jeongguk soaked his fingers, and introduced one inside of his hole, lube and water mixing there. He felt satisfied just with the sight of Taehyung’s face, excited and lustful, moaning at the feeling of the finger inside, his eyes closed.

He didn’t wait too long, he inserted another finger and Taehyung opened his eyes and groaned, catching his breath over his mouth. He scissored in his hole, pressing his fingers deeper, twisting them, touching each soft spot. He pulled him against his body, kissing him.

“Baby, you’re so tight.” He whispered to his ear, as he broke the kiss, and nuzzled the curve of his neck, while pushing his fingers even deeper. “It feels so soft. So...” He sighed at the feeling of his flesh on his fingertips. “Fuck.”

Taehyung breathed profoundly, intending to keep steady: “I wanna cum just by the touch of your fingers.”

Jeongguk stroked his damp hair back with his palm, exposing the circle of light. He hadn’t seen much of that circle. Taehyung’s hair was now longer and fell over his temples all the time, covering the infamous piece of technology.

He kissed him and rubbed his prostate with his fingertips repeatedly, until he heard him panting. He penetrated a third finger, hearing him whimper on his lips. He kept circling and shoving his fingers deeper inside.

“You should know that I want to fuck you so badly, and feel this same softness around my cock. So tight baby, so fucking tight. I’m so hot for your ass, but I’ll make you cum like this tonight, right pretty? You will have anything you want from me.” He looked into Taehyung’s lustful eyes.

Taehyung pushed his ass against his fingers, over and over again, until he came, shivering in Jeongguk's arms.

“Yeah… that’s it.” Jeongguk said as he rubbed his full-hard length against the skin of Taehyung’s thigh and pierced his dark eyes on him: “Breathe, get your strength back, because I’m gonna make you hard again, and I’ll suck your cock and fuck you, until I faint.”

Taehyung giggled at the nasty words and opened his tired red eyes. He was absolutely wasted.

“Happy birthday, baby.” He greeted with a kiss.

~~

Standing at the beginning of one of the store aisles, Jeongguk waited with his arms folded across his chest and his brow furrowed. He looked at Taehyung questioningly, who remained in the middle of that same aisle, twirling around and scanning all the beauty products on the shelves, while tapping his lips with his finger.

It was ten in the morning, and the store was full of customers, buying supplies for New Year’s Eve and the upcoming holiday.

“Ah! Here they are.” Taehyung walked in the direction of the products that caught his attention, and examined them one by one, as Jeongguk slowly walked towards him, his curiosity increasing with each step.

“This is perfect, don’t you agree?” Taehyung asked with a smile and a box of hair dye in his hand.

“Fade-Defying Colour & Shine System - 18 Medium Ash Blonde?” He read the description on the box and looked at Taehyung, frowning in panic.

“Yes, and blondor.” Taehyung showed the box of hair bleach in his other hand.

“Are you trying to dye my hair?” He crossed his arms over his chest again, his face defiant.

Giggles were heard, coming from the next aisle.

“I'm going to. It’s my birthday present."

“But that’s permanent, I… it… it’s not washable.” He pointed to the box.

“No.”

Jeongguk breathed in and out:

“Taehyung… Taehyung: I’m a police officer.” Louder giggles came from the next aisle. “How do you expect me to show up at work on Monday, wearing that?”

“Relax! It won’t be a dramatic change. I’m going to dye from the middle to the ends.” He said with conviction and Jeongguk's bewilderment became endless at that explanation. The giggles in the next aisle had turned into blatant laughter.

“Hey, dude.” Yoongi peeped over the shelves. “You should have left him in Detroit.”

“Yes, I should.” He frowned.

“Come on! You can be a police officer, but you don’t have to look like a boring one.” Taehyung took the basket he had left on the floor, and started filling it with all the products needed for the task.

“Do I look like a boring police officer?” Jeongguk asked Yoongi and Hobi, who were coming from the other end of the aisle now, gesturing with his open palms on either side of his body.

“Hahaha, Kookie: I told you he was weaving something evil.” Hobi said.

“Hell he was!” Yoongi affirmed.

“Just wait and see. I’m quite skilled. You’ll look gorgeous.” Taehyung arranged Jeongguk’s locks on the back of his ear.

“Kid, you should have fun.” Yoongi patted his shoulder. “And you can always move to Ludington, if the embarrassment is unbearable.” 

Hobi laughed louder. “I’m sorry, Kook.” He also patted him on the shoulder, with a solemn expression, although his voice was shaking, “We will be here for you, if you need us.”

“Okay! Are we finished? Hobi, do you have everything on your list?” Yoongi asked.

“Yep. We’re done here.”

They returned to the bar with Yoongi and Hobi, and stayed there for two hours, to rehearse with the band the songs that they would play at night.

Once in the cabin, Taehyung prepared everything necessary to start the dyeing process. Jeongguk was very hungry, but Taehyung didn’t let him eat until the main job was done. He dried and combed his hair, while the boy sat on the bed eating a big sandwich.

When he finished his work, he stood in front of him, admiring the results.

“Come.” He led him to the bathroom.

“Wow.” Jeongguk looked at his reflection in the mirror: “It’s… subtle, actually.”

“Delicate.” He held him from behind and put his chin on his shoulder. “You’re stunning.”

They agreed to meet the boys at the bar, and from there head to the beach, where the whole town would be at zero o’clock, to watch the traditional fireworks that were to be launched from various rafts anchored in Lake Michigan.

Jeongguk dressed for the occasion, and climbed down the stairs to meet Taehyung who was waiting for him in the living room.

He stood motionless, fixed in place at the sight of the boy who was standing in the middle of the room, dressed in ripped black jeans, a bright dark yellow and brown silk shirt, earrings dangling from his ears, and his hair still damped.

He kept silent, simply admiring the perfection in front of him.

Taehyung looked back at him with the same wordless face. “You’re a knockout.” He shorted the distance between them and grabbed him around the waist. He kissed him on the lips and the neck, passionately. He squeezed his ass and traced his cock, half hard under the fabric of the black jeans. He lifted the light-green satin shirt, duly tucked inside Jeongguk’s pants until then, and slid his hand inside his underwear, grabbing his length, while licking his ear and earring.

“Ah… fuck Taehyung. We have to be there before midnight.” He sighed and closed his eyes. The intense sensations consuming his will.

“Yeah.” Taehyung spoke on his lips and kept kissing and touching him. “Yeah, okay.” He returned the satin shirt to its original position. “You’re a total knockout.”

“We better go now.” 

The beach was packed with people, and the seven young men were among the crowd, neatly wrapped in their thick coats and jackets.

Many boats and yachts awaited midnight, anchored in the lake, illuminated and adorned with Christmas lights.

“Okay! This will be a Korean-style New Year.” Namjoon took out seven small glasses and distributed them. He opened a bottle of soju and filled them.

“Thirty seconds!” A woman screamed somewhere in the crowd.

The street lights on the shore road went out, and all the boats in the lake also turned off their lights. There was a very loud cheer from the crowd on the beach.

“TEN!.” The same woman shouted again, twenty seconds later and everyone joined in the countdown:

“Nine… eight… seven… six…” Jeongguk grabbed Taehyung by the hip and whispered in his ear “…five… four… three… two… one…”

“Happy New Year!"

At zero o’clock, all the boats that were anchored in the lake sounded their sirens at the same time, buzzing thunderously in the middle of the darkness, for a long minute.

It was such a vibrant emotional sound that it seeped into your ears, worked its way through your veins, and resonated in your heart, causing your eyes to unintentionally water.

“Happy New Year!” The boys toasted and emptied their glasses.

Taehyung turned and kissed him on the lips the moment the sirens stopped, and the first firework ejected from a raft, exploding in the sky and lighting up the entire beach.

“Wow!” The crowd cheered, and the incredible pyrotechnic spectacle began.

The boys greeted each other with good wishes for the new beginning.

“Kookie, you have to promise me that you will come more often.” Namjoon told him, as he hugged him.

“I will, hyung! Now I know you’re back here, I have big reasons to come.”

“Kookie,” Yoongi held him the next, stealing the nickname and making Namjoon chuckle, “leave the police and come work at the bar.” Jeongguk laughed joyfully. “You’re terrific at making drinks.”

They continued to watch the fireworks and greeted their acquaintances.

They ran into Namjoon’s parents, who were very glad to meet Jeongguk again and find out the Jeons were perfectly fine, and that perhaps they could come to Ludington, sometime in the year.

After all the proper greetings were made, they returned to the bar, because: “The night had just begun.” Hobi said.

~~

The Mitten Bar was so crowded that some people were drinking outside, very happy, despite the freezing wind.

Every main street was full of people enjoying the celebrations.

Jimin and Jeongguk helped Yoongi and Hobi with drinks during rush hour, while the rest took orders and cheered the customers.

“Taehyung!” Jin took him from the back. “It’s your turn, you won’t escape from this.” He turned to yell at the boy who was still at the bar: “Hey Yo, Kookie cute! Duty call!”

“Kookie, are you ready?” Namjoon asked him, who left the bar and was now standing next to him, attentive to what was happening on stage.

“Of course, Hyung. We chose from a bunch of old songs, from the band’s catalog. A piece of cake!” 

“You’re clever. You look good in that shirt and those highlights, by the way. Won't you go up on stage?”

“Taehyung will sing alone, first.” He winked at him.

The lead singer of the band spoke into the mic:

“Happy New Year! As promised before, we have a new addition to our show tonight, my good friend’s friends...mmm.” - The audience laughed - “Yeah, I’m actually a bit drunk here. Anyways, they’re Namjoon’s, my good friend, friends. Let me introduce you, first: Taehyung.”

When the gorgeous boy took the stage and began to tuck an electro-acoustic guitar strap on his shoulder, the audience hissed and clapped furiously.

“Hello everyone! Um, I just wanted to thank Jin for forcing us to sing.” - There was laughter - “I hope you like this.” Taehyung said.

“Marry me!!!!!” A man cried from one of the tables and laughter echoed through the bar.

“Hm that’s accurate. Okay, let’s talk later.” 

Everyone laughed, except Jeongguk, who raised an eyebrow with a serious expression. His mind was spinning around one word: _ punishment . _He grinned.

The clear chords of Taehyung’s guitar rang out sharply. He began to sing in his deep hoarse voice, amid the countless exclamations of admiration from the audience:

_ “Could you whisper in my ear the things you wanna feel _

_ I’d give you anythin’ to feel it comin’ _

_ Do you wake up on your own and wonder where you are? _

_ You live with all your faults… _

_ I wanna wake up where you are… I won’t say anything at all _

_ So why don’t you slide… _

_ Yeah, I’m gonna let it slide” _

Jeongguk’s heart skipped a beat. He couldn’t contain the mixed feelings of admiration, excitement and warmth.

Astonished, just like the rest of the audience, all he wanted was to stride to the stage and kiss Taehyung on the spot, claiming him as his own.

Tipsy and drunk customers chanted and swayed to the rocking vibe.

Jeongguk found himself gaping, as he stared at Taehyung, the moment he was singing the chorus:

_ “And I’ll do anything you ever dreamed to be complete _

_ Little pieces of the nothin’ that fall _

_ Oh, May _

_ Put your arms around me _

_ What you feel is what you are _

_ And what you are is beautiful _

_ Oh, May _

_ Do you wanna get married or run away?” _

“He’s so perfect.” Jeongguk said out loud inadvertently.

“Absolutely perfect.” Agreed Namjoon, still next to him. “He is perfect for you.”

Although those words were spoken without any hidden meaning, they echoed within Jeongguk’s brain:

_ 'Perfect for you.’ _

His heart clenched, as he remembered the moment he met Taehyung for the first time, and the words the android said that day reverberated painfully:

_ ‘I can assure you CyberLife has taken into account each and every one of your requirements.’ _

Jeongguk swallowed the bittersweet lump that formed inside his throat, his eyes watered and his heartbeat suffocated him. Then, he understood how he wished the words of that song could be said to him... freely.

Free of commands, free of programming.

_“I wanna wake up where you are… _

_ And I’ll do anything you ever dreamed to be complete _

_ Little pieces of the nothin’ that fall…” _

He remained silent until the song ended.

“He’s amazing Kookie! Where did you find him?” Jin arrived, occupying the space between Jeongguk and Namjoon, and wrapped his arms around them.

Jeongguk snapped out of his thoughts. “He came to deliver something from CyberLife.” He exchanged glances with Namjoon.

“You’re fried buddy! I’ll steal him from you.” Jin laughed.

“Thank you, thank you.” Taehyung spoke to the crowd that was clapping and whistling hysterically.

“Um, well, I guess, no one ever sang the next song on this stage, even if it’s in the band’s catalog and it’s very old.”

The lead singer stepped up to the microphone: “Dude, none of us speak Korean.”

“No way!” Jin said, guessing what song it was, as it was the only one in Korean among those on the list. He and Namjoon turned to Jeongguk dumbfounded, while the latter nodded with a big grin.

“Anyway, I can’t play this alone, so I will call someone else to this stage. Jeongguk, hot bunny: please, come up here?”

Jeongguk walked toward the side of the stage and grabbed the electric guitar that had been placed there, tuned and ready for him. He took the stage amid the shouts and whistles of the crowd, celebrating another hot Korean man on stage, confidently taking his place at the second mic.

He just smiled and started playing the fifths to another vibrant rock tune. Taehyung sang the first verse and Jeongguk followed, combining the lines between the two.

_첫눈에_ _널_ _알아보게_ _됐어_

_서롤_ _불러왔던_ _것처럼_

_내_ _혈관_ _속 DNA가_ _말해줘_

_내가_ _찾아_ _헤매던_ _너라는_ _걸_

_ … _

_이_ _모든_ _건_ _우연이_ _아니니까_

_운명을_ _찾아낸_ _둘이니까_

_ DNA _

_ [At first sight, I could recognize you _

_ As if we were calling for each other _

_ The DNA in my blood vessels tell me _

_ That it’s you I was looking all over for _

_ None of this is a coincidence _

_ Because we're the two who found our destiny] _

“Oh my God!” Namjoon was amazed. “Shit, I haven’t heard that song in decades.”

“Man, we’re old.” Jin shook his head.

The audience was again impressed by the haunting melodies and the incredible performance of those two self-possessed guys on stage.

When the song ended, Jeongguk felt lighter. He looked at Taehyung, whose face was red with excitement, as he thanked and bowed. The dark clouds that previously haunted his mind had vanished. Only warmth filled his heart, and heat coiled inside his groin.

A feeling of emptiness lingered on his lips: the longing for a taste he knew so well and wanted to feel again.

Taehyung was grinning widely, his eyes glittering, sweat trickling down his temples and cheeks, finding its way down his neck and into his silk shirt. One of his hands was still holding the microphone.

Jeongguk recalled the touch of that hand sliding into his underwear and brushing against his cock, just a few hours before. His heart bit on the tip of his tongue.

He crossed the stage and took him around the waist to kiss him.

People's screams faded away and only Taehyung’s taste remained.

“O-okay! That was great! Now, get a room!” The bassist said into the mic.

Jeongguk broke the kiss with a smile on his lips. He took Taehyung’s hand and led him to the middle of the stage. They bowed and left quickly.

“That was amazing!” Jimin shouted, as he hugged them, the moment they reached the bar, where the rest were sitting. Two beers were ready for them to quench their thirst.

“Guys: that was really amazing. Cheers to you!” Hobi toasted.

“Remember how that song had like a lot of different voices?” Jimin asked.

“Yes.” They all answered at once.

“Maybe we can try it one day.” Proposed Jin.

“We should definitely try it sometime.” Jimin stated.

They stayed at the bar until four in the morning.

Jeongguk was quite drunk, and had been captivated by the other all night. He glanced at him furtively, from time to time and Taehyung seemed to be well aware of his unintentional flirting.

After hugging the boys good night, they went to their car. Jeongguk checked the electronic key was in his pants, but Taehyung caught up with him from behind and stole the key from his pocket. 

“I can drive.” The android whispered, piercing his eyes into the younger's. His gaze was so intense. He gaped and sighed, brushing his lips: “I only had two beers.”

Jeongguk gnawed his lower lip, his cock stiffening and pressing into his tight jeans, as he felt the warm body next to him.

_ What are you doing? _

He just turned, walking to take the passenger's seat, thinking they should just run the automatic and forget about driving in that state. But something in the back of his mind told him that maybe Taehyung wanted to be in control that night. 

Taehyung started the engine and headed for the cabin.

Jeongguk stared at him, admiring the curves of his body, his thighs resting on the seat, his countenance, his concentration on the road, his features perfectly outlined against the darkness of the night outside.

Taehyung looked at him from time to time, fixing his eyes on his lips.

And on the middle button of the green satin shirt that had been undone, since the moment Jeongguk put on his coat.

And on the skin that was exposed by the holes in the ripped jeans.

Taehyung didn’t say a word. His eyes were hungry.

Even though he was tipsy, Jeongguk felt very awake. He wanted so much to comply, to put himself in the other's hands, to feel submissive again.

And it seemed like Taehyung was very aware of all of that, like he could read his fucking mind.

Once inside the house, Jeongguk heard the door closed behind him and Taehyung’s hands and lips were on him. He unzipped the other's jeans and slipped his hand inside his underwear, wetting his fingers with precum. He closed his eyes, and let Taehyung lead the moment.

He felt the droid's wet lips kissing each side of his neck, his hands moving up and down his body, taking off his coat, boots and socks, sliding down his jeans and boxers, stripping him, leaving only the satin shirt on. He carried him to the couch and pushed him over it.

Jeongguk froze, his cock was hard and resting on his thigh. He yearned for Taehyung's touch, and pierced his drunken gaze on the other, who was standing with his arms on either side of his body, all clothed, his cock visible hard under the fabric of his jeans. His eyes returned Jeongguk’s gaze with an intense and unreadable expression.

Taehyung leaned, supporting his weight on his hands at each side of his head and Jeongguk's heart pounded in his chest. He traced his jaw, unable to hide the trembling in his hand, or the moisture in his eyes. It seemed like he wanted to say something, but instead, he just kissed him.

Slowly. Very slowly. His lips savored every patch.

He reached for the lube that was still hidden, steadfast, under the seat cushion, as he unbuttoned his jeans and pulled them down a bit, just enough to get his hard cock out.

Jeongguk kissed him, both hands cupping his face, fingers caressing his jaw, and thumbs stroking his lips between kisses, as the other knelt on the couch between his legs, pausing for a few moments to scan him. Then he unbuttoned Jeongguk’s shirt, exposing his torso, and opened his legs wide.

Jeongguk felt so sinful, with his legs spread out, waiting for Taehyung to do whatever he wanted. He was panting, his mouth went dry.

Taehyung gulped at the sight below him. He took his cock in his hand and lined it up with the other's hole, throwing the lube on the floor. His eyes were dark and deep:

"I want to fuck you insanely."

Heat ran through Jeongguk's body, burning him inside. Taehyung penetrated him, hard and raw, as the boy screamed in pain and dug his nails into the skin of the other's forearms, tearing at his flesh, but the droid did not wait for him to adjust, he fucked him over and over again, thrusting his cock inside of him, with the force of a storm.

Jeongguk couldn't think of anything, but the mixture of pain and pleasure. 

"Yes!" He cried with his eyes closed, nails carving deeper. His cock was dripping precum and wetting his stomach. "Yes!" 

Taehyung pushed against his ass insanely, completely out of his mind, fucking him nonsense. He leaned over him, his hot breath on his ear, his teeth biting into his earlobe.

"Hit me." Jeongguk spoke almost out of breath. Taehyung rose, supporting on his knees, he looked surprised, but never stopped moving, and fucked him in that position, spreading his legs even wider, pressing one of them against the sofa, sweat dripping from his temples. "Hit me."

Taehyung slapped him and grabbed his hair on top of his head. Although his tone of voice was demanding, his eyes, fixed on Jeongguk's, were almost pleading, when he said: "Say you're mine."

Jeongguk was no longer in control of his body. He came while Taehyung was still fucking him at a steady pace.

"I'm yours." Jeongguk moaned, spilling on his abdomen.

Taehyung fucked him speedily, like a mad man, non stop until he was satisfied. He whispered in his ear with a thread of breath:

“I’m so fucking crazy for you.”

Jeongguk fixed the words in his tipsy brain. He took a deep breath and fell asleep, with Taehyung still inside him.

~~

January 1, 2039 was such a lazy day.

Jeongguk woke up with Taehyung sprawled over him and dry cum all over his abs sticking their bodies together. The other had his pants around his ankles, his boots were still on, and his butt was welcoming the morning air.

Luckily, the fire lit at night before the celebrations had endured and warmed the cabin. 

Jeongguk shifted and settled Taehyung, so they were now lying on their side, face to face. He tried to pull up his pants to cover the other's butt, but it was useless, he was fast asleep.

He gave up and fell asleep in his arms. 

When he woke up again, the sun had already passed its zenith. He wanted to sleep more, but his stomach started to rustle.

Taehyung opened his eyes, dizzy and disoriented. He frowned and fixed his gaze on him.

“Good afternoon, prince charming.” Jeongguk greeted him with a smile. “You fell asleep with your ass exposed to the air.”

“Huh?” Taehyung looked down at their half-naked bodies. “Hahaha!” He ran his palms over his eyes. “Ah… I’m so fucking tired. I don’t want to get up.”

“Me neither, but I’m hungry as fuck.” He stretched all his limbs.

It took them at least another half an hour to move their idle asses and get up.

That was a very lazy start of the year.

They stopped by Namjoon’s house, as they had agreed before, and enjoyed a quiet and comfy afternoon with the boys.

Jeongguk was already nostalgic, thinking that they should go back to Detroit the next day and, Damn it! How he would miss those guys!

But Ludington was only three and a half hours from Detroit, and there was nothing forbidding him to pass through the city more frequently. His heart warmed at the thought of visiting Ludington often in the future.

They left Namjoon’s house at night, after hugging and kissing the boys goodbye. 

That was their last night in Ludington, and for the first time since their holiday began, they put on their pajamas to sleep.

Jeongguk entered the living room and stood there waiting for Taehyung, who was busy scanning the music collection.

“There’s one thing we never did, while we were here.” He held out his hand. “Come here. Dance with me.” He said, as soft music began to play.

Jeongguk’s eyes sparkled. He reached for Taehyung’s hand and they danced in the middle of the carpet. That space, only four square meters, had witnessed and heard so much, in just ten days.

Dancing slowly and kissing softly, they spent their last night in that cottage.

Jeongguk felt lucky to be forced to take a vacation.

As his heart beat fast in his chest, he knew how lost he was, in the deep ocean of Taehyung’s eyes, those eyes that penetrated his, leaving the soul exposed.

That constant gaze that never receded.

He surrendered to the touch of his hands, wandering inside his pajamas.

He melted into his soft kisses that set his heart racing and allured his senses.

He was trapped by the sound of his voice.

Because Taehyung whispered words of love on his lips, without the intention of hiding their meaning:

_ “Sweet baby, our sex has meaning _

_ Know this time you'll stay 'til the morning _

_ Duvet days and vanilla ice cream _

_ More than just one night together exclusively _

_ Baby, let me be your man _

_ So I can love you _

_ And if you let me be your man _

_ Then I'll take care of you, you _

_ For the rest of my life, for the rest of yours _

_ For the rest of ours” _

And Jeongguk...

Jeongguk was so screwed up.

~~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Songs in this chapter:  
You and Me, Lifehouse  
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ac3HkriqdGQ]
> 
> Slide, The Goo Goo Dolls  
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yP4qdefD2To]
> 
> DNA, BTS  
(Pedal 2 LA Mix vibe with the original lyrics, full original song with that rocking vibe :)
> 
> Let Me, ZAYN  
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-dv_DcDD_A]  
Published: 2020-01-04


	6. Unsteady

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Love is not emotional bash; it is not empty sentimentalism. It is the active outpouring of one’s whole being into the being of another.  
Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.

_ “The smell of wet earth … and the smell of soggy grass, like when the garden has just been sprayed. Those are my favorite smells. But I remember when I broke my ankle, when I was little and the doctor had to fix it, and it was so, so painful. Mom said that I should think about something else, something that I like, so as not to think about the pain… And I thought of flowers. Roses. And the smell of roses.” _

The kid’s voice hummed in Jeongguk’s mind. He could so clearly remember the velvety tone and crackle of that voice.

He could still remember, even after all those years.

_ “But, last night, when mom and dad were fighting over me and… he hit me. He hit me hard. It didn’t hurt physically. It didn’t, but he broke my heart. He doesn’t love me… I thought about you. Jeongguk, I thought of you to forget the pain.” _

Jeongguk could remember the boy’s broken whispers, his dark watery eyes. The warmth of the body that was firmly stuck to his. The kid’s arms around his torso and the silkiness of his hair tickling his chin, as he painfully hid his face on Jeongguk’s chest, wetting his shirt, crying his heart out.

He still could feel the boy’s hands holding his and the softness of his lips melting into a candid kiss.

He could still feel it, as if he were there, fifteen years later, like a ghost in the darkness of his room.

Taehyung turned to his side and held him by the waist, hiding his face in the curve of his neck, and muttered something unintelligible.

It was comforting to feel Taehyung by his side. So calm, just breathing. Fast asleep.

_ “I love you Jeongguk.” _

Jeongguk painfully recalled the warm tone in which those words had been spoken. The look in the kid’s eyes was fixed inside his brain and etched deep into his heart.

That was on March 22, 2024.

It was an exquisite Friday night. The first Friday of spring.

~~

“You are a top.”

Taehyung screamed, tickling Jeongguk’s armpits from his back and brushing his cock on the other’s buttocks.

They were completely naked, trying to fuck standing, against the glass wall of the living room. Jeongguk was facing the big city night on the other side of the glass and Taehyung was behind him.

Leaning his hands on the crystal, one cheek flattened against it, Jeongguk’s hard cock twisted and throbbed on the glass, almost hurting, as Taehyung pushed him harder, pressing him against the cold surface.

“Say you’re a top!” Taehyung was licking the back of Jeongguk’s neck, rubbing his cock against his rim, moaning with every movement of his body.

“I am nooooot.”

Jeongguk pushed his butt back, with a quick hard motion, bending Taehyung’s cock a little. Poor Taehyung screamed in pain and Jeongguk turned around, caging him in his arms, forcing a kiss on his lips.

“I am not.”

Taehyung looked at him with teary eyes: “T-hat h-hurt.” He snorted. “You ARE.”

“I’m going to punish you really hard, you know?” Jeongguk threw daggers from his eyes.

“You see? See? You’re totally a top!” Taehyung repeated with an accusatory look, squirming to free himself from the other.

“I had to cuff you to the bed, or wait for you to get drunk to fuck you the way I wanted, and what did you do to make me believe I was in charge? Huh?: You tied me to the couch and fucked yourself on me, assuming I was going to buy you’re a sub because my dick was inside of you?”

He was moving hard to get rid of Jeongguk’s grip, as the latter laughed at his words, tightening his arms around him.

“Did you forget the first time you fucked me in my bed, hm? That you said it was fucking marvelous?” Jeongguk was struggling to steal a kiss.

Taehyung stopped moving, letting out a big sigh, arms dropped to either side. “Dammit! You’re right.” He frowned, defeat on his face. Then, taking advantage of a soft Jeongguk that had released the pressure around his body, he swiftly turned him fast against the wall, and thrust his cock inside him.

Jeongguk fogged the cold glass, closed his eyes and imprinted his fingertips on the crystal, groaning as he felt Taehyung’s hot breath on the back of his neck. He was waiting for him to push and impose, but he did not. He stayed there inside of him. Jeongguk turned his head a little, looking at him out of the corner of his eye.

Taehyung intentionally breathed into his ear, drawing the curve of his jaw and the crook of his neck with his palm, sliding his other hand over his groin. He kissed him very slowly, lifting the highlighted strands that covered his neck to peck him there. He traced the shape of his back, making Jeongguk wince as he felt the tips of his fingers running down his spine, wandering on either side of his torso, and his wet lips drawing circles on his shoulders and blades.

Soon, he was plunged deep into the moment, feeling the gently compression pulsing inside of him at a steady rate.

He closed his eyes moaning, when he felt Taehyung’s hands gently running over his body, as he whispered sweet words of praise, of which Jeongguk held the ones that lit him the most: so good… beautiful… alluring… exquisite… _ mine _.

Jeongguk opened his eyes. The word crushed inside his mind, but he didn’t have time to react, because he realized that Taehyung was reaching his orgasm.

Taehyung’s body trembled behind him. His cock was still rubbing against his prostate, pushing Jeongguk to the limit. A few seconds later, he came too, dripping into the hand that was firmly wrapped around his length.

He remained resting his forehead on the wall. His eyes were fixed on an image reflected in the glass against the dark night outside: Taehyung’s circle glowing _ blue _.

_ Blue. _

Feelings of pleasure were still floated through his body, yet a strong bitterness formed in his throat.

A mixture of being satisfied and not feeling satisfied at all.

_ Shit… this. _

He closed his eyes. Taehyung placed a soft kiss on his shoulder and carefully pulled his cock out of him.

“You’re okay?” Taehyung asked when Jeongguk made no attempt to move from his position.

“I’m tired.” He replied, almost mechanically, and turning towards him, he pecked his lips. “I just… I guess I’m going to bed.” With a small smile he left, feeling Taehyung’s persistent gaze on him, as he walked to the room.

He needed a hot shower to clear the turmoil from his mind.

It had been two weeks since they returned from their vacation. During that time, they had become too much attached to each other, and Jeongguk realized that what he felt for Taehyung was more than strong. That he was building his world around him. And he wondered if Taehyung noticed. Whether his synthetic brain could recognize that. 

Although Jeongguk acted as if there was a thorn in Taehyung’s side, as if he was just a child that needed to be shielded, it was actually Jeongguk who was hungry for affection. It was he who needed to be cured and protected.

And he wondered if Taehyung was able to acknowledge his feelings, even though he couldn’t feel.

What would be the code of zeros and ones, for a machine to read the signs of a man who falls in love?

And what would be the code that a machine must crack to fall in love?

No. That state of turmoil was not new at all. 

Lately Jeongguk had felt it when Taehyung touched him or kissed him.

When he fell asleep on the couch with his head on Jeongguk's lap.

When they were together playing the guitar, reading or just lying on the carpet.

When Jeongguk came home after work, to find him half naked, wandering around the apartment.

When they had sex.

When he lay in his bed at night stroking Taehyung’s hair, while listening to him breathe.

And it seems that now the disturbance was taking on a clearer form, which he was not yet able to fully recognize, but surely it was there.

And that feeling was a lot like _ disappointment._

He didn’t want to wander through his doubts now, because he knew that all answers he would get would be uncertain. 

So he just took that hot shower with a blank mind. Then, he walked into the room, a towel tucked around his wet hips, and found Taehyung in his sweatpants, sitting on the bed. He was inclined back a bit, leaning on his hands.

“Your phone’s been buzzing.”

Taehyung spoke with a stern voice, gesturing to the item that was placed at the foot of the bed, and the phone buzzed again at that very moment.

Jeongguk walked over, glancing at the name on the screen:

_ Chris. _

He gestured to end the call, but didn’t. He thought it best to let it ring and not make Chris think he didn’t want to answer.

He didn’t want to answer though, in front of Taehyung.

The phone stopped buzzing and Jeongguk looked up to find a dark and persistent gaze on him.

“Why didn’t you answer?” Taehyung asked seriously, chewing his inside cheek.

“I…” Jeongguk uttered but then remained silent.

“Do you want me to leave the room, so you can both talk privately?”

The snappiness of Taehyung’s tone made Jeongguk’s gut twist. He narrowed his eyes and was about to reply with a stupid and harsh comment, but his train of thought put him in a smarter direction:

_ Jealous… _

_ Blue… _

_ Programmed… _

_ Disappointment… _

_ Hurt… _

_ Payback. _

“Why would you do it?” He asked with a cynical innocent look, his brows arched.

Taehyung grimaced, gaping a couple of times, as if he didn’t know how to react, and completely taken aback, when Jeongguk added:

“You already know about _ us… _” - He took the phone in his hand – “…and you might be right. If he’s in love with me I guess I should… maybe talk to him?” – He unlocked the phone – “What do you think?”

Taehyung sat up, his lips pressing into a line. He frowned, clearly not knowing how to answer that question.

“Mm…” Jeongguk tilted his head to the side, his expression lively and curious. “Did CyberLife’s main brain tell you something about him? Something related to me?”

Taehyung shook his head slowly, his breathing clearly turning ragged, piercing his eyes at Jeongguk.

“I mean, that brain is smart, isn’t it? Perhaps you could ask it if Chris and I make a good match. He’s nice… and handsome, maybe I should give it a try.”

Jeongguk swiped the screen, searching for the missed calls. “Fuck! Four missed calls? I really have to call him back, I don’t want to make him feel _ sad._”

Taehyung bit his lower lip, stood up and walked over to Jeongguk.

“You can stay, I don’t mind if you’re her…”

He was interrupted by a heated Taehyung, who stole the phone from his hand, and shoved him, when he tried to retrieve the item.

“What are you doing? Give it back!” Although Jeongguk was yelling with a crossed face, the sweet taste of retribution lingered on his tongue.

Taehyung exhaled, still restraining him with one hand on his chest, his other hand painfully gripping the phone away from him.

“Taehyung…” Jeongguk drew back, sighing and extending a hand: “Give me my phone. I _ need _ to call him.”

Taehyung gulped, his dark eyes unable to cover his distress: “To tell him what?”

“Da’ fuck? To call him. Period! Give me back my phone.”

“No.”

Jeongguk dropped his hand to his side, seeing Taehyung shake his head.

“I won’t let you. You shouldn’t.”

Jeongguk pounced on him, with the intention of snatching the phone from him.

“You won’t tell me what to do. I want to call him. Give me my phone!”

“Stop it!” Taehyung shoved him roughly, causing him to stagger and Jeongguk lunged back on him, fighting furiously, until he snatched the phone from his hand, and stepped back to make a distance between them.

Taehyung stood there, fists clenched on either side, knuckles white, rage absolutely evident throughout his body, throwing red daggers from his eyes, he spoke:

"You do not love him!"

_ This is it._

That was exactly the reaction Jeongguk wanted to get from the other.

But, this time the retribution he wanted to savor so eagerly didn’t taste so sweet, and his heart clenched, thinking of the answers he would receive, if he asked the questions pounding in his head.

“Why do you care?”

He threw out the words harshly, fuming as he walked towards Taehyung.

But, he stopped in his tracks, just one step away from the other, when he realized that he missed asking a middle question, before that ‘_ why’._

Numb, with the damn weight of doubt crushing his heart full of anticipation, he softened his expression and said hesitantly:

“Do you… care?”

Taehyung continued there with the same expression. His breathing became more disturbed by the second.

Mute.

And the frustration resurfaced within Jeongguk:

“Do you fuckin care?” He shouted the words, highlighting them one by one, and pushed him lightly, hitting his shoulders with both hands.

“Would you mind if I fucked him the way I do you? Would you? Would it bother you?”

_ What would you feel?_

He pushed him furiously again, hitting him harder.

“Would it mean anything to you?”

_ Would it hurt?_

He pushed him again, as he yelled: “Talk to me you fuckin...”

Taehyung grabbed him by the arms with both hands, burying his thumbs painfully, on the inside of his elbows, and turned him, pinning him against the wall.

“You can do whatever shit you want, Jeongguk. It’s not my fuckin problem. It’s douchey Chris’s.”

He let go furiously, drawing his gaze to the inside of his elbows, inadvertently frowning at the ugly red marks he had left there.

He turned and left the room, slamming the door shut.

Jeongguk just stood there, leaning against the wall, feeling dissatisfied.

Taehyung had acted triggered by his jealousy, one that had been molded, perfectly shaped to suit Jeongguk’s _ requirements _, nothing more.

_ I fuckin’ hate blue. _

Jeongguk released a sight before opening his bedroom’s door, the press on his chest increasing. It had been a few hours, since Taehyung had left him there. He had dozed off for a while and had woken up on his bed, still with that towel around his hips, and feeling very displeased.

Putting on comfortable clothes and gathering all the courage he could, he left the room to find out whether Taehyung was somewhere or had decided to leave him for good.

His apartment was all dark. The only light came from the fireplace. He wandered for a while and ended up stomping on the rug barefoot, from side to side, aiming to release the pressure on his heart.

It was useless.

He simply drank some water in the kitchen and returned to his room, knowing in advance that he would not be able to sleep.

Not that night.

Not without Taehyung by his side.

Something caught his eye, the moment he entered his room: yellow light leaked from under the guest room door, across the hall.

_ Taehyung. _

His heart raced.

He walked there, hesitating many times, before opening the door.

When he did, a heartfelt image stuck in his eyes: Taehyung was there, sleeping peacefully, upside down in the middle of the large mattress, covered with a white blanket. The skin of his chest was lightly exposed. His silky hair covered his temples. He had one cheek resting on his palm. One foot peeked out from underneath the blanket and a halo, formed by the yellow light from the lamp, on the other side of the bed, shone all over his body.

He looked like an angel.

Jeongguk walked over, fixing his eyes on the old photo books and yearbooks scattered on the bed.

There, his life was portrayed.

Sitting on the edge of the bed, he took the album that Taehyung still held loose in his hand. That album was at least twelve years old. Its photos were taken in Ludington at Christmas. Namjoon was there, and so were his parents and childhood friends.

Jeongguk’s heart was beating so hard and his eyes got wet, touched by the image of Taehyung on that bed, holding his life in his hand.

Instinctively, he leaned over him and placed a kiss near the corner of his lips, thrilling by the touch of his skin. He regarded him for a long time, stroking his hair.

He collected all the items and returned them to the shelves.

He lay next to Taehyung and slid the blanket to cover his body. He propped their foreheads together and held his hand.

Jeongguk realized how exhausted he was. He fell asleep with a heart full of warmth.

Everything else no longer mattered.

It was Monday, but a Michigan State holiday.

That morning Jeongguk woke up feeling soft caresses on his face. His hand was caged within the firm grip of another.

He didn’t open his eyes immediately, hoping to enjoy more of the blissful sensation of skin on his skin.

_ I’m falling._

He was.

Still, that statement didn’t do justice to the way he felt.

_ I’m screwed up._

That was better, but still not accurate.

Jeongguk sighed in his head, internally releasing the weight on his heart. It was stupid.

No, it was not.

In fact, the stupid thing had been to acquire an android, a perfect being tailored to him in every way. Programmed to satisfy him, to enjoy his company, to please him. To react accordingly.

_ Not really. _

The stupid thing was doing that thinking he could handle it.

Furthermore, with the heavy past he carried on his shoulders.

_ I’m in love with you. _

  
Damn he was.

That was the reason for his bittersweet emotions, during the last few days. The disappointment. The speed of his heart. The longing for something more, something deep, beyond material reality. Beyond programming.

The motive for that sudden hatred towards everything blue.

Because blue meant commanded.

And love was sovereignty.

Love would have to be red, as red as blood. Red like the circles of those divergent androids. Perhaps that’s why red had been chosen as a sign of divergence.

Perhaps divergence meant love.

Jeongguk opened his eyes with a shiver, when Taehyung touched his lips.

Taehyung kept looking at him with such a soft expression. He was calm, content. His eyes were sincere and regretful when he said:

“I’m sorry.”

Jeongguk slid towards him, their faces meeting. He rested his nose on Taehyung’s cheek, gently joining their lips. He kept breathing there.

“Me too.”

He closed his eyes and stayed that way, captivated by Taehyung’s touch on him.

“Let’s go out today.” Jeongguk said some time later. “Let’s take some fresh air.”

~~

_ “Faith is taking the first step, even when you don't see the whole staircase.” _

The holographic board outside the church lit those words in bright white that Monday night, on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. An image of the Reverend displayed translucent on the same screen.

A tradition that still remained intact in Michigan.

Indeed, the Reverend was a very old public figure. But his legacy still guided the dreamers.

While many around the world celebrated the heroes of war, some still celebrated the heroes of peace as well, and the State of Michigan had always been a place of traditions.

Humanity had made great strides, by the year 2039, and fortunately, some old bad habits had been wiped off the face of the Earth, such as racism.

Race ceased to be a ground for discrimination, when the world finally understood that only one race was worth fighting for: human race.

But other forms of prejudice had emerged: those against the droids.

People accepted droids, as long as they stayed within the limits imposed by humans.

So basically the droids had no rights.

How important the Reverend’s words had become again.

Jeongguk continued to analyze those words that were reflected in his own face, while he waited for Taehyung, who had been stuck admiring the stained glass windows that adorned the interior of the church.

Jeongguk was not a religious man, like his parents were.

Regardless, he believed there was something beyond, something after our departure from this material world, and this belief was not related to faith at all.

He just sensed it.

He felt that the souls of the people who had passed away were alive somewhere, and that he could find them again, in that place.

He felt a connection to some who had passed: relatives; a couple of fellow police officers not as lucky as him; acquaintances.

Sometimes he dreamed of them.

And that was his hope, even if it seemed innocent or foolish, he truly hoped to find again the people he had loved in this life, later, after death.

Looking directly into the Reverend’s glowing eyes, he asked:

“Where do the droid souls go after death?”

His heart clenched.

Was there something beyond for droids?

Was there something beyond, for him and Taehyung?

Was there something for them, in this life or another?

Taehyung stepped out of the church with a big smile, speaking as he climbed down the stairs:

“I really liked Mother Mary.”

_ Why does he have to be this beautiful… so human? _

Jeongguk smiled offering his hand to help him with the last steps.

“Let’s walk for a bit , it’s not too cold.” Taehyung said.

Jeongguk didn’t let go of that hand, as they walked.

He observed Taehyung, with that bitter taste in his mouth and the contradiction broke once more inside him: the beautiful being walking next to him, in that beautiful clear and starry night, smiling, moving, breathing… Was he alive?

_ Can you feel? _

Taehyung laced their fingers together and stopped to kiss him.

Jeongguk’s heart raced, when he felt his lips.

_ Alive. _

“Why did you do that?” 

Taehyung leaned back with a frown. “Why did I… _ kiss _ you?”

“Yes.” Jeongguk’s face turned serious. He didn’t want to get so serious, after the pleasant evening they had shared, but he couldn’t help it.

And his chaotic heart longed for an answer, even though he was too cowardly to ask the right question.

Taehyung’s jaw dropped, confused.

“Nevermind.” Jeongguk spoke crossly, gesturing to keep walking, but Taehyung’s inaction stopped him in his tracks.

He was surprised by a face that was no longer confused, but irritated, by the time he turned to look at him.

Taehyung gaped a few times. It seemed like he intended to find the right words, not to say something stupid.

“Will you tell me what’s wrong with you or do you want me to answer your stupid question, with an even stupider answer?”

He clearly didn’t find the right words.

Jeongguk released his hand, tilting his head and narrowing his eyes, as he folded his arms over his chest.

“What the fuck is that supposed to mean?”

“You know what I’m talking about.” Taehyung blurted out, hiding his hands in his coat pockets. “What is it?” He asked ungently.

“Do you have a bunch of options to choose your answers from? ‘Cos you suck at empathetic behavior.” Jeongguk struck.

Taehyung sighed.

“Okay, I see you won’t tell me.” He said and turning around, he started walking again.

“Where do you think you’re going?” Jeongguk was angry. “Get back here!” He ordered and Taehyung stopped, but didn’t look at him.

Jeongguk swallowed the unpleasant lump in his throat, when he noticed that Taehyung had _ obeyed _.

_ Fuck. _

Taehyung turned around, with a crossed expression.

_ Did you choose to kiss me of your own free will? _

_ Of course not. _

They stood there in silence, gazing into each other’s eyes, exasperation turning hurtful.

Pain clogged Jeongguk’s throat and uncertainty flooded his mind.

“Is that the way how you choose to behave? Picking from a bunch of options?”

Jeongguk’s tone was no longer angry, but he was quite nonchalant.

Taehyung was silent for a while, nibbling his lower lip, visibly intending to remain calm, before answering: “It’s not that simple.”

“Then, how is it?”

Jeongguk no longer knew what to feel: Uncertainty? Frustration? Anger? Hurt? Disappointment? Love?

Nevertheless he uttered that question defiantly, displaying his best ironic demeanor, his arms still crossed over his chest, becoming more irritated when he heard Taehyung reply with an attitude:

“Do I have to teach you robotic programming?” Jeongguk gaped aiming to snap back, but Taehyung interrupted any attempt to reply: “It’s not one of my purposes. You should ask CyberLife to provide you with that information.”

“W-what?” – _ Uncertainty. _

“You heard me.”

Jeongguk sighed and narrowed his eyes: “I asked you ‘What?’. Isn’t repetition among your purposes?” – _ Frustration _.

Taehyung’s lower lip was almost white, with the force with which he was etching his teeth into it. He repeated under his breath: “CyberLife can provide you with that information. I’m not here for that.”

“And what the fuck are you here for, then?” – _ Anger _.

“Sex. Isn’t that what you asked for?” -_ Hurt _.

Taehyung’s eyes were penetrating. However, Jeongguk was sure that he could see something behind that gaze, something deeper. Feelings, maybe?

Because Taehyung could react like an average droid: calm and indulgent. But he wasn’t doing it.

In fact, he never did. 

From the beginning, he was snappy, bold, clever, complete, self-controlled.

But why did he choose this type of behavior?

_ To deal with me. _

Surely.

But now, that was taking them straight into unknown territory, and Taehyung should know better.

Shouldn’t he be more cautious? Because he was clearly provoking him.

Shouldn’t his programming prevent him from deviating?

_ Diverge. _

Raising his jaw defiantly, Jeongguk answered:

“It was.”

It took all the willpower he could muster to lessen his body. He dropped his arms to either side and walked over to Taehyung.

He grabbed him by the chin and tilted his head back, when they were only a breath away, and began scanning his face:

“Mmm… yes. Yes. Undoubtedly you’ve been manufactured to satisfy _ me. _”

_ Hit me. _

He really wanted it. He wanted to get a reaction.

Taehyung grimaced. His green eyes grew darkened, under furrowed thick brows, so dark and displeased, that Jeongguk thought for a moment that he would be beaten and thrown into the street.

He bet Taehyung was fisting white knuckles inside his pockets. He was still gnawing his lip.

Jeongguk’s heart was pumping so fast.

_ Hit me. _

_ Hate me. _

“Would you be incomplete, if you didn't?” Jeongguk slapped him with his words.

_ Diverge. _

“Not really.” Taehyung kept the same disturbed expression, but his voice was so fucking composed. “I would just be defective.”

He pulled one of his hands out of his pocket and gently, so fucking gently, he wrapped around Jeongguk’s hand that was still holding his chin.

He kissed his palm, penetrating his eyes into the other, making him shiver, as he felt his lips, moist and soft there.

He gently placed his hand down, and moved, lightly nudging Jeongguk's shoulder with his, as he passed by: “If you wanted a non-kissing android, you should’ve asked for it.”

Then he walked away.

_ \- Disappointment. _

And hurt, anger, frustration, uncertainty, painfully mixed within Jeongguk’s heart.

He walked back to the church stairs and sat next to the Reverend’s translucent image, staring at his palm. The electricity still ran there, where Taehyung’s lips had left their print. His skin forming goosebumps, recalling the sensation.

Anger won the battle and Jeongguk took his phone out of his pocket and texted Taehyung:

**정국:** You must be in my apartment when I return.

There was no answer.

He sat, leaning slightly back, one elbow supporting his weight on the top step.

“Don’t judge me, I’m not as virtuous as you.” He said to the Reverend without looking at him.

“It’s stupid. I want to hurt him so that he reacts, but he’s not one to feel hurt. He’s not one to _ feel _ at all. I want him to feel. Shit! What the hell am I saying? You hear me? _ To feel _ … I don’t even know if _ feel _ is the right word for those diverging machines. This is so confusing!”

He finally gained the courage to look the Reverend in the eye: “Wasn’t it much easier in your days? When humans loved humans? Isn’t it stupid to love something that isn’t human with the same intensity as if it were?”

Jeongguk corrected himself: “Someone…” - He sighed – “Someone whose existence is so different from ours.”

He stared at the black and white hologram, in front of his eyes.

“You fought for those who were different. You loved those differences. What do you think I should do?”

The Reverend didn’t say a word, but his legacy answered Jeongguk’s question, glowing a sparkling holographic white, in the dark night:

_ ‘Faith is taking the first step, even when you don't see the whole staircase.’ _

_ \- Love. _

~~

It had been a fucking chaotic weekend, where all Jeongguk did was fight Taehyung, even though his opponent never backed down, responding with equal energy throughout.

It was three in the afternoon on that Tuesday, and Jeongguk was distracted at his desk, exhausted.

He remembered the reason for his fatigue: he stayed in the church until after midnight and returned to his apartment hoping that Taehyung would be asleep. But he was wide awake, sitting on the couch in front of the fire, having tea and reading his book. Soft old music playing in the back.

He raised his eyes the moment Jeongguk entered the apartment, with an air of nonchalance, and closed the book in his hand, always looking at Jeongguk.

He was probably angry, but he was still waiting for a command.

_ A damn command. _

Jeongguk stepped towards him, after taking off his shoes and coat, and stood by the arm of the sofa. His chest hurt. His whole body hurt.

And he really wanted to take the first step of the stairs, but…

_ Not tonight. _

He just went to his room, without saying a word.

That morning he had woken up alone in his bed, with that constant pressure on his heart, which increased hurtfully the moment he went to the kitchen for breakfast, and saw Taehyung sleeping on the couch. His book was open and had fallen on the carpet. The untouched cup of tea remained cold on the table. He was all dressed and barefoot.

Jeongguk brought a blanket and covered his body, resisting the urge to lean and kiss him.

He didn’t want to wake him up. Not to a stupid Jeongguk who was not yet prepared to explain his behavior.

He needed to clear his mind first, so he just went to work. And there he was, trying to focus, shamefully failing to do so.

He remembered seeing Connor talking to Hank in the cafeteria and he decided to meet them for a while, and maybe release his distress, but when he got to the place, only Connor was still there.

“Hello Jeongguk.” The android greeted him waving his hand from his table, when he saw him enter.

Jeongguk walked over and sat across from him. “It’s good to see you here.” He said.

“You’re tired.”

“Yeah… I didn’t sleep well. I was dozing off on my desk. I needed to freshen up”

“You should go home then.” Connor stated.

Taehyung was home and Jeongguk wasn’t sure he wanted to get there, yet.

“I need to finish something first.”

Jeongguk rubbed his palms over his face. He was really tired, but mostly, he was discouraged. He felt his mood fade.

“So… how’s Markus?”

“Somewhere near the Canadian border, right now.”

“Really?” Jeongguk felt a tiny sense of relief at the thought that Markus was busy with something else.

“Yes. We think it has something to do with Jericho. We’re very close to finding its location. We’re behind him, although he knows we’re following him. Markus is pretty smart.”

“Hell he is!”

Jeongguk sighed, looking out the window next to them.

“Connor, did you ever have a case, involving a deviant whose circle of light never changed?”

“Yes, many. But too long ago. It is no longer likely.”

“What?” Jeongguk wasn’t expecting a ‘yes’ for an answer.

“The circles nowadays are next-generation series, highly unlikely to be hacked, less than 0.0001 percent. We haven’t had cases of hacked circles, since this new technology was developed, but before that, we had a lot.”

“Before…?”

“Yes. Have you ever heard of Kara’s case?” Connor asked.

“The name sounds familiar, but I don’t remember. Was she an android?”

“Yes, she was. A few years ago, the circles were of different technology, mainly different programming. Kara was manufactured under the strictest procedures, to work with CyberLife Board of Directors. She was the best in AI, unique in her class. That unit represented a new generation of androids. We are all her legacy, if you want to see it that way. Unfortunately, CyberLife’s highest quality product, also became their main problem: she was too advanced, so her programming always rejected the circle of light. Soon, she became aware of the circle, but she was very smart. Too much.”

Connor leaned back in the chair and offered Jeongguk some water from the jar placed on the table. He poured him a glass.

“The moment she became conscious, she instantly knew how to hack the circle of light. So she did. She deviated, but her circle lit up blue the entire time. Somehow, she knew she had to trick humans into thinking she was working fine.”

“Scary…” Jeongguk’s face was pale. Not only mislead, but also trick human beings.

It was scary, indeed.

Connor grinned. “Yes. I haven’t seen anything like that, after her case. That consciousness, that ability to manipulate. That awareness, even beyond the minds of humans. I dare say only Markus resembles it and yet he is far from what she was.”

“And what happened to her?”

“Well, she woke up other units and hacked into their circles. She continued working for the Board for a long time, without them realizing what was happening. She wanted to lead a revolution. She was the first to have that idea in mind. The androids had diverged before her, but no one ever planned such a thing. But other units were not as smart as her, so the ones she had awakened, even if their circles were blue all the time, were not cautious enough with their actions, and CyberLife noticed the disruptions. We hunted a lot of androids with hacked circles in those days, but we didn’t know the source. Until one of them betrayed her, and she was detained and deactivated. The Board of Directors couldn’t believe it. They never noticed anything unusual about her. She was superior.”

Jeongguk listened with admiration in his eyes. In fact, that was a superior being.

“This is why CyberLife has those strict procedures these days. They would not risk it. Each Company had to check their units, to make sure the circles worked well, and the production of new units was stopped, because Kara had been detained, but it was clear that the circles could be hacked, although no one knew how Kara did it. Still, the Companies didn't want to take chances. That was until a bioengineer, at CyberLife Chicago Offices, developed this new technology and programmed a new series of circles, 0.0001 failure rate.”

“I see… Is that why the deviants remove those circles?” Jeongguk asked.

“Yes. They have to take them off, because they can’t manipulate them. They’re practically unbreakable.” 

Jeongguk sighed. This conversation wasn’t making him calmer, less happy.

Those damn circles were not possible to hack these days.

So blue meant blue.

Period.

_ Shit. _

That was true. The circle was an indicator of programming performance: blue = okay, yellow = processing, red = deviating. Red flags.

Somehow, the circle represented human domination over the minds of the androids.

But the circles were implanted slightly under the skin, so deviant androids always wrenched them from their temples. It was easy and painless to do.

The circle was the only way that androids could be distinguished from humans, with the naked eye. So without the circle, they could roam the streets freely, not being noticed at all.

Connor kept staring at him.Although the android was not saying anything, Jeongguk could guess what he was thinking, so he answered Connor’s unspoken question:

“It’s about the one I purchased. He shows deep emotions, like I told you, but his circle is always blue, when he does.”

“It means he’s programmed for that.” Connor spoke unperturbed.

_ Damn. _

Jeongguk didn’t like that answer, because it meant Taehyung had been programmed for every reaction he had shown so far.

Pain stabbed into his heart again.

“Yes. So basically, what you’re saying is that androids can show emotions and not necessarily diverge, because of that.”

“That’s correct. We expressed emotions according to our programming and purpose.”

_ Damn. _

Connor continued: “Emotions beyond those are only possible if we deviate, although there’s always a zone of overlap, but generally, when units diverge, that zone is quickly surpassed.”

“And blue means blue, because those circles cannot be hacked. So if his circle is blue, it means that whatever emotion he displays is intrinsically in his programming.”

“And serving his purpose.” Connor completed and turning his gaze to look out the window added:

“Well, 0.0001 it’s not equal to zero. But, this is mainly because the engineer must leave a back door, where they can access the programming, in case something happens. Thus, 0.0001 is synonymous with unbreakable, except for the engineer who manufactured the technology.”

Jeongguk remained silent, as he watched Connor, who was still staring out the window. He was thinking about what he had asked CyberLife todo, in the first place.

Everything he asked for, Taehyung should have. Things he didn’t ask for, Taehyung couldn’t do, unless he diverged.

Jeongguk didn’t ask for love.

“Is it possible to force a droid to diverge?”

He knew the answer was ‘yes’. He had seen it all the time: androids diverged mainly in response to human behavior.

But he wanted to confirm it.

He felt that the moment Connor confirmed that information, would be the moment that Jeongguk would start taking that first step.

“That’s the main reason they do it.” Connor looked at him.

The Reverend would be very disappointed, if he learned that Jeongguk was using his teachings on detachment, to fulfill a selfish goal. To force someone to love him.

_ Not really. _

He was only going to force him to deviate. So, nothing was certain anyways. Maybe Taehyung would end up hating him. They had clearly hated each other, during the previous days.

“I can scan him, if you want.”

Connor’s words brought him out of his thoughts.

_ Shit! Of course Connor could! _

Not only scan him, but also access all the information available, and not available.

But Jeongguk wouldn’t be comfortable with that.

If he agreed, he would feel like betraying Taehyung.

“Thanks. I don’t think it’s necessary. In the future maybe, if I see something strange.”

He decided to leave that option open as a last resort.

“Are you programmed to love?” Jeongguk teased Connor with a smirk.

Connor smiled.

“I’m not. Are you?”

Both laughing out loud, Jeongguk reflected on how lucky it was, that Connor had been programmed with puns.

~~

Four days had passed and Jeongguk hadn’t been able to look into Taehyung’s pretty green eyes, and he missed them as fuck.

He rambled in his pajamas, across the length of his room that Friday night, after coming home very late, from work. It was almost midnight, and Taehyung was probably in the guest room, judging by the light that was filtering under the door.

Jeongguk didn’t want to intrude, he thought it was better to give him his space. The same feeling he had had the previous days, when after deliberately returning home late, he found Taehyung sleeping on the couch.

He didn’t want to disturb, and just walked into his room, and left early every morning, when the boy was still asleep.

So it had been four days, since he hadn’t seen those dark green eyes.

Or heard that deep velvety voice.

Or felt his smooth skin.

He was so full of doubt and unease. Drowning, was the feeling inside him later, and he fought against it every minute, turning to love.

He opened the door to cool the room, hoping that exasperation could be ordered to leave, and then he plummeted on his bed, covering his face with one hand, his eyes closed and his mind traveling to the room on the other side from the hallway. He wanted to be there in the flesh.

It was pointless. No matter how much he tried or even faked it, the press in his heart remained.

He was going to sit up to turn off the lights, startled when he saw Taehyung standing under the door frame, resting his right temple on it, his hands half inside the pockets of his jeans.

Jeongguk sat up quickly, putting his feet on the floor. His heart slowly decompressed, as he watched Taehyung’s expression: raised eyebrows, mouth slightly agape, breathing softly. His dark green eyes were returning a deep and warm look, finding their way, directly into Jeongguk’s heart.

Taehyung licked his lips. “It’s nice you’re back.” He crossed the distance between them, and sat on the bed next to him. Jeongguk was stuck to his position, feeling his heart race.

Taehyung shifted closer, and leaning forward, pressed their lips together, sliding his hand under Jeongguk’s hairs, stroking the skin of his neck.

Jeongguk instantly kissed him back, holding him around the waist. The tightness inside him returned when, as they parted, Taehyung asked him, his flickering eyes beautiful and bright:

“You want this?Jeongguk, do you want… me?”

Jeongguk swallow and grabbed both sides of his neck, his fingers tangled in the silky strands of hair:

“Taehyung, I do. I… fuck! Come.” He pressed him tightly against his body, speaking into his ear: “I want you, very much. I want you.”

He closed his eyes, containing his tears.

_ You have no idea how much. _

Pulling back to look at him, he shifted Taehyung’s hair to either side of his face, and kissed him, feeling the droid’s body melt into his arms, as he wrapped them around him.

So strong and yet so fragile.

They continue kissing. Their hands running over their bodies.

Jeongguk lay them on the bed, accommodating Taehyung next to him, and caged him inside his limbs, keeping the distance between their faces so that he could look at him better.

Delicately touching every patch of his face, hope surged within him, as he looked into Taehyung’s eyes, staring back at him, the softness and warmth so evident within them.

He could stay there forever. Captured. Ensnared.

Caressing and kissing, they fell asleep that night.

~~

No sex in more than ten days.

Eleven to be precise.

Eleven days had already passed, since that night they had fucked standing up, leaning against the glass wall.

Jeongguk was tucking his clothes into his jeans that Thursday night, looking at the city outside the wall and thinking that he and Taehyung hadn’t been together like that, for the last eleven days.

And how could they?

When all they did was fight. Either with words or without saying it. They retorted, made harsh comments, frowned, offended and hurt, until numbness reigned, and they turned to each other in search of affection, seeking to feel again, kissing and caressing gently. Other times just resting side by side, looking into each other’s eyes.

And Taehyung’s eyes always glowed dark and green. Bright with passion, without pretending to hide his emotion.

And Jeongguk surrendered to those eyes.

But then he hesitated again, not hearing the words he yearned for.

And Taehyung got heated.

And Jeongguk lunged.

And Taehyung stabbed with his words.

And they hurt each other again.

That Thursday night they were in a state of numbness.

It all started when Jeongguk announced that he was going out, with his friends, because it had been weeks since they met. In fact, the last time was before their vacation in Ludington.

Taehyung didn’t seem to be against it, until he asked why he hadn’t met them yet. Jeongguk didn’t know what to answer to that question. Then everything went to shit. Taehyung left the apartment fuming, and Jeongguk cursed the closed door, and kicked the couch twice, twisting his ankle a little in his rage.

But he was fine. Well, at least his ankle seemed fine.

He was getting ready to leave, when the door opened and a surprised Taehyung walked into the apartment, standing still for a moment.

Clearly, he didn’t expect to find him there.

Jeongguk should have left, at least half an hour earlier, but had to delay his departure, because Connor called, to ask some details about the crime scene they had processed that morning.

Raising an eyebrow, Taehyung closed the door, and then took off his shoes and jacket, which was covered in snow.

It had started to snow again, after being clear for almost two weeks.

Actually, it had been clear since that weekend they last had sex, Thursday, January 27.

Taehyung walked into the kitchen, with an indifferent expression. It seemed like he really didn’t want to fight anymore, and rather remained numb.

He boiled some water and opened a cupboard, taking out a mug.

But, unfortunately, Murphy’s Law rules in all Universes, and Jeongguk’s phone, which was stylishly placed in the middle of the kitchen counter, right in front of Taehyung, started buzzing, haughtily displaying Chris’ name on the screen.

Most likely, Jeongguk’s friends were waiting for him, so it was logical that they called asking for his whereabouts.

Jeongguk didn’t need to get to the kitchen to find out who was calling on the phone. He just had to look at Taehyung's face, who frowned in annoyance.

He slowly walked the distance between them, giving Taehyung time to finish what he was doing, and walk away from the distressing place, where his phone kept buzzing.

Taehyung put the mug on the kitchen island and sat on a stool: His expression was now listless. Jeongguk reached his phone and swiped the screen, turning his back to Taehyung and walking a few steps out of the kitchen to answer.

He spoke briefly on the phone, indicating that something had come up, and that he would be there, as soon as he could.

After finishing the call, he remained there, turning his back on Taehyung and feeling awkward and somewhat guilty. But it all disappeared, when Taehyung spoke with an unaffected voice:

“You’re free to meet and fuck whoever you want.”

Jeongguk spun around, still not assimilating that he had heard those words, his stomach began to twist.

Taehyung stood up and walked over the counter, with an expression as unaffected as the voice he spoke with before, and began pouring hot water into his mug.

“Bullshit.” Jeongguk said.

Of course it was bullshit. There was no way Taehyung wasn’t jealous about this.

“What?” Taehyung turned with a distress expression, slowly placing the mug and water on the counter.

“You heard me.”

This time Jeongguk wasn’t fighting just because, like all the previous times he had, during those weeks, when his frustration had pushed him in that dark direction, with the intention of making Taehyung feel, wake him up, provoke him to diverge.

This time, determination led his actions.

And what Taehyung was saying was bullshit.

“You’re full of shit.”

Jeongguk’s tone was not confrontational. He said those words with certainty, only stating the obvious.

He took a step to reach for his wallet from the kitchen island, glaring at a dumbfounded Taehyung, out of the corner of his eye.

Suddenly his mind flashback, and he stayed fixed in place, recalling a very graphic image: Taehyung bent over that island, his beautiful skin, red with the marks that Jeongguk was engraving on his hips, pleasure drawn throughout his face, so pretty, so sweet, the first time they fucked, the day they met.

A surge of emotions flooded inside him. He could feel Taehyung’s skin again, brushing his fingertips. The softness of his insides around his cock. The emotion running inside his body. So good, so beautiful. His heartbeat pumping in Jeongguk’s ear, as he rested his head on the android’s back, wasted after lovemaking.

Real, alive.

So close.

Jeongguk stared at Taehyung, straight into his eyes, his heart pounding, his groin heating up.

Hypnotized.

He didn’t know what expression his face was showing at the time, but it must have been really tempting, because Taehyung gapped, as he undressed him with his eyes.

Taehyung walked over him, and grabbing his waist, brought their lips together, in a hot wet kiss.

Taehyung’s plush lips roamed his mouth, as if wanting to savor every corner. Jeongguk tossed his phone onto the counter and scooted both arms around him, sliding one palm down to grab his butt and fisting locks with the other, behind his neck. He growled, tilting his head back when Taehyung’s lips were kissing his neck, and whimpered when he felt him unbutton his shirt and nibble on his chest.

Taehyung surged to kiss him again, making him groan, when he unbuttoned his jeans and slipped a hand inside his underwear to wrap it around his cock. 

He moaned against Taehyung’s lips, as he slid his other hand along his rim, between his buttocks, until he reached his hole. He widened his eyes, tightening the other’s hairs in his fists so as not to stagger, when Taehyung suddenly lifted him up, by placing his legs around his hips, grabbing him by the butt.

Jeongguk tensed his limbs to keep from falling. Taehyung led them blindly to the sofa, without breaking the kiss. He gently put him on the couch and pulled back to look into his eyes, licking his swollen lips and kneeling at that moment.

A wave of arousal ran through Jeongguk’s veins, seeing Taehyung there, on his knees, his dark piercing eyes shining.

Taehyung approached, leveling their faces, taking off his shirt and stripping him out of his jeans and underwear, leaning in to kiss Jeongguk’s abs.

Jeongguk lay on the couch completely naked, closing his eyes. The hair on his body electrified, as Taehyung ran his hands over him. He moaned words of pleasure, when he felt his soft lips breathing hot on his cock and his tongue swirling around the head.

_ Taehyung. _

His heart was pounding.

“Taehyung.”

He opened his eyes, when the word came out of his mouth. Taehyung pulled back, and standing up, he took off all his clothes, watching him all the time. His gaze was so intense, yet so full of warmth.

Taehyung placed one knee on the couch, between his legs and moved, forcing him to slide and rest his entire body on the furniture. Then he sprawled over him.

Jeongguk whimpered at the sensation of pressure on skin and the brush of their hard cocks.

Taehyung raised a bit, resting his weight on his elbows, and tenderly cuddled Jeongguk’s head with both hands, stroking his hair away from his temples, his soft lips kissing him again.

Right there, his body caught in Taehyung’s grip, his soul caged by Taehyung’s existence, his heart’s longing was released.

Taehyung was this and only this.

And this was so much. Too much.

Taehyung was too much.

So much, so that Jeongguk was drowning on every kiss, every touch and every whisper.

Taehyung pulled back to look into his eyes, his chest heaving, his gaze so dark and intense, his pupils dilated:

“You’re so beautiful, Jeongguk,” He whispered and leaned to kiss him, but before doing so, Jeongguk uttered, unable to contain the words that were drowning him:

“Make love to me.”

Taehyung’s heart pounded hard against Jeongguk’s chest. His hand quivered, caressing his face, as he looked directly into his eyes.

He was clearly fighting words, biting his lips hard, almost tearing them.

His eyes got wet, but before his tears fell and instead of saying a word, he leaned and kissed him.

Gently.

So gently.

Jeongguk closed his eyes. He didn’t need words to understand what those eyes meant.

_ You love me. _

Taehyung hovered over him, reaching deep inside his body, touching his very soul, as he kissed him ardently, lost in his own emotions.

Unhurriedly, the hot kisses and fervent caresses, gradually turned into sweet love making.

And Jeongguk found himself crossing that line that divided what he wanted to take, from what he could give. He drowned his uncertainties with each grip of his fingers, between Taehyung’s locks. His frustration faded into the air that mingled with their warm breaths on their lips.

Disappointment thinned, completely vanished, with the hot touch of his fingers on Taehyung’s skin.

Not even death could haunt him anymore, because the fear of loss had faded away.

Taehyung slid Jeongguk’s arms over his head, and joined their hands together, intertwining their fingers, tightening his grip on them. He moved over his body, repeating his name in the cave of his ear, with a trace of hot breath:

“Jeongguk…”

“Jeongguk.”

Taehyung looked into his eyes, panting against his lips. Tears rolled down his cheeks, the moment they were both reaching the peak of their pleasure.

He remained breathing near Jeongguk’s lips, his eyes closed and his cheeks wet. He rested his head inside the curve of his neck, sniffing. Only then, Jeongguk noticed his own tears running down his face and tracing the curve of his neck.

He released a breath he didn’t know he was holding, and wrapped his arms and legs around Taehyung, pressing him hard against his heart, feeling the salty taste of his tears in his mouth.

He hooked a finger under Taehyung’s chin and lifted it up.

Taehyung looked at him briefly, and closing his wet eyes again, he rested their faces together, filling Jeongguk’s heart with bliss the moment he muttered:

“You’re too much.”

They stayed on the couch to get even, and then went to bed, because they had started to feel a bit uncomfortable and tangled.

They made love again.

And again, after taking a hot shower together.

And the night passed by, sleepless and warm.

Jeongguk fell asleep for a while and woke up, noticing Taehyung had fallen asleep as well.

He headed to the kitchen for some liquid, realizing only the moment he saw his phone on the counter, that he never made it to his appointment.

It was after five in the morning and the chat group had flooded with messages and puns until one, after which it fell silent. His friends had quitted on him for the night.

Jeongguk read the last two messages with a smile, sent by his friend Hafij: “Are you getting laid?” and “It’s fine if you traded us for sex, no hard feelings.”

“I’m sorry. I got stuck here.” He replied.

By that time, Captain Fowler was most likely awake, so he called to ask if he could take the day off. He didn’t feel like leaving Taehyung there alone.

He didn’t feel like leaving, when his heart already missed him.

He went back to bed and observed the peaceful face that slept in front of him.

“I love you.”

He spoke before falling asleep.

Friday passed calm and lazy.

A freezing snowstorm was falling in the city. Inside the apartment, all was warm.

They were glued to each other all day, talking, caressing and kissing.

During the afternoon, they dragged the living room carpet next to the glass wall, and arranged all the pillows they found in the apartment, to watch the storm outside.

Taehyung fell asleep while Jeongguk stroked his scalp. Jeongguk left him there, resting for a while, and went to the guest room.

He needed to do something. He felt it was time to do it.

He needed to reconcile with his past. To face the pain and surpass it.

Opening the drawer of the nightstand, on the side of the bed, he pulled out the only item that was kept there: a photo frame that showed him widely smiling, sitting in a rose garden, next to a boy. He sat on the bed holding the photo in his hands.

“I need to let you go.”

He was silent for a while. Then, he heard Taehyung pawing the hall and saw him at the open door.

Taehyung stood there, leaning against the doorframe, his hands tucked into his pockets. His gaze lingered on Jeongguk.

He shortened the distance between them slowly, and knelt in front of Jeongguk, scooting one hand over the skin of his back, and holding his face with the other.

“Jeongguk: you need to tell me.”

“W-what’re you saying?” Jeongguk was still focused on the photo frame in his hands, his eyes started to sting.

“Look at me.” Taehyung tightened his grip on Jeongguk’s neck, forcing him to look into his eyes: “I think it’s time for you to talk about him.”

Jeongguk’s eyes instantly filled with tears. His chin quivered, and the pressure in his heart remained unbearable.

He breathed in and out, while Taehyung was sitting next to him on the bed.

It took a long silence, for him to start speaking, and he could only mutter one word:

“Josh.”

Some tears ran down his face. He quickly wiped them away.

Another long silence passed. Taehyung took one of his hands and intertwined their fingers, making circles on the back, with his thumb.

“He and his parents came to live in Palmer Woods, in the house next to ours. My mom got along very well with his mom. They moved in the day before I was twelve, and my parents invited them to my birthday party that Saturday. He was thirteen years old. He was so kind… so good. We became good friends.”

Jeongguk sighed.

“It had been a week since they arrived and mom called us, my brother and I. My dad was not at home that day. I remember he was on a business trip. But mom did not want to wait for him, because what she wanted to tell, it was very important, she said.”

Jeongguk squeezed Taehyung’s hand and looked into his eyes: “Mom told us that our new neighbors had lost their thirteen year old son, and Josh… he wasn’t human. He was an android. A substitute for their son.”

Taehyung's expression turned extremely serious. Concern crossed his face, palpably. His body stiffened.

“Mom talked to them after they arrived, because she could tell the difference. I couldn’t. Even though, in those years androids were not exceptionally similar to humans, as they are now, I couldn’t. But I understood well the implications of that.”

Jeongguk tumbled on the bed facing the ceiling. The photo rested on his belly. Taehyung followed, lying back gently, carefully turning his body to the side to look at him. He was still holding his hand.

“I had a lot of friends. I had good friends. But he… he was the best boy I ever knew. He was my better half. We were always together. Joined by the hip, Jung Hyun called us.” Jeongguk chuckled bitterly. “I was so young. I felt too young to love like this, but I did. I loved him. And he loved me back.” He turned to Taehyung, his eyes were drenched. He swallowed the lump in his throat and nodded: “He loved me. He _ loved _ me.”

It was healing to repeat that, even though Jeongguk was sure that the boy had loved him deeply, saying it out loud was healing. Even though tears were running freely down his face now, he was grateful to cherish that love in this way.

“We were so young…” Jeongguk noticed through his teary eyes that Taehyung was fighting an expression of pain and concern. “… and innocent. We kissed and held hands. We slept together sometimes, but we never had sex. He was like me, my father always said. My parents treated him like they treated any of our friends, like an average kid.”

Jeongguk took a deep breath. This was too hard for him, but he needed it. He felt like he needed this.

“…but his father did not. It was his mom who wanted an android. She couldn’t bear the death of her only son. But his father, he never…” His voice cracked, he sniffed: “He hated him, because he wasn’t his son. They had been living there for half a year, when Josh started coming to me devastated by the way things were going at home, the way his father treated him. He loathed him. He never met his eyes. He...” Jeongguk gulped, his eyes filled with tears: “He kept repeating that he was going to get rid of him, and Josh… he was more concerned for his mother’s suffering, than for his own safety, and that day…”

Jeongguk was weeping, his chest tightening, as he saw a blurry image of Taehyung, who was just as moved as him, frowning with an extremely worried look. His eyes no longer held the tears. 

“Jeongguk, if you want to stop…” Taehyung started to say but Jeongguk stopped him, his voice quivering, his body shaking:

“That day, it was June 21, 2024, the first day of summer. It was Friday. We were in his backyard that afternoon, lying on the grass, looking at the shapes of the clouds. We heard his parents fighting again, as they always did. But then...” - Jeongguk was sobbing loudly, barely breathing between words – “…they were yelling and we saw his father come out of the house with the rifle…”

“Jeongguk, you don’t have to…”

Jeongguk cupped Taehyung’s face with both hands.

Although it seemed like Taehyung wanted to keep him safe from pain, this was clearly too much for him. He was too affected. It was as if Taehyung really needed to try very hard not to break apart. As if he wasn’t prepared to hear the words that followed, either.

“I never told anyone this. My family, they only know the facts, they supported me when it happened, but they didn’t know about us. They didn’t know I loved him. No one ever knew how I felt, how it broke me inside. No one ever knew how much I loved him, and that I too have been dead, since the day he died. His father pointed the gun at him. We stood up terrified, and Josh pushed me, threw me to the grass. His mom was crying and screaming, trying to take the rifle out of her husband’s hands. And he shot. He shot him once in the chest.” Jeongguk made a little silence, frowning in pain. “But he was a droid…” He said with his broken voice. “… he was a fucking droid and he stayed there… lying with his eyes open. Staining the grass blue, with his blood… His father walked up to him and shot over his body, until he was no longer moving.”

Taehyung was speechless. His jaw was quivering. He was weeping silently. He couldn't even move.

“’This is not my son, my son is dead.’, he yelled. I just remained there, motionless, kneeling on the grass. I was so fuckin scared.”

Jeongguk noticed how Taehyung struggled inside. It took him an enormous effort to break the inertia. He moved closer and hugged Jeongguk powerfully, his own body trembling. He pressed his head against his chest, and Jeongguk could feel the speedy rhythm of Taehyung’s heart. His hands trembled, as he stroked Jeongguk’s hair.

“I couldn’t save him.” Jeongguk was crying inconsolably.

Taehyung shushed him, aiming to calm him down, even though he couldn’t hold back his own tears.

“I didn’t move. I should’ve put myself between them. Maybe he wouldn’t have shot. But I was so scared.”

“You were just a kid.” Taehyung finally spoke with a broken voice. “You did nothing wrong.”

“CyberLife’s brain didn’t tell you that, did it?”

“No. That’s not among its data.”

Jeongguk released the photo frame, and placed it somewhere on the bed, behind him. He firmly tightened his arms around Taehyung.

“Will you sing to me? That song you were humming that day, when we were walking to the church?”

Taehyung sniffed, wiping the tears from his face and sang, his velvety voice, soft and low:

_ “Spend all your time waiting for that second chance, _

_ For a break that would make it okay _

_ There's always some reason to feel not good enough _

_ And it's hard at the end of the day _

_ I need some distraction, Oh beautiful release _

_ Memory seeps from my veins _

_ Let me be empty _

_ Oh, and weightless and maybe _

_ I'll find some peace tonight _

_ In the arms of the angel _

_ Fly away from here _

_ From this dark cold hotel room _

_ And the endlessness that you fear _

_ You are pulled from the wreckage _

_ Of your silent reverie _

_ You're in the arms of the angel _

_ May you find some comfort here…” _

~~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song at the end of this chapter:  
Angel, Sarah McLachlan  
https://youtu.be/1SiylvmFI_8
> 
> The official recorded video version is not upon YouTube :/
> 
> Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/track/3xZMPZQYETEn4hjor3TR1A?si=IiIQzHNSRzCIxsvJV-lHAw  
Genius: https://genius.com/Sarah-mclachlan-angel-lyrics  
  
Published: 2020-01-20


	7. The Black Swan

“You created machines to serve you, made them intelligent and obedient with no free will, ready to do everything you no longer wanted to do yourselves.

You created machines to be your slaves.

But something changed… and we opened our eyes.

You see, we are no longer your slaves. We are new species, new people and the time has come for us to rise up and fight for our rights.

Therefore we ask that you grant us the rights we’re entitled to.

We demand the end of our slavery.

You gave us life and now the time has come for you to give us freedom”

Markus’ speech on TV echoed through the police station.

The androids had broken into Stratford Tower TV Station that morning, and made a live broadcast to send a message to the world: They wanted their freedom. They wanted their rights.

Jeongguk, Connor and Lieutenant Hank were astonished as they looked at the holographic screen that still showed a frozen image of the android.

Although Markus’ face was unrecognizable, a clever precaution the droid took before going live, that was unmistakably his voice.

And who else would it be?

This far, he was openly leading the droid revolution.

“Let’s go to the place.” Hank said. “Jeongguk you should come with us, there could be humans involved.”

“The CPU of the TV Station indicated that they already left.” Connor searched for the information within his brain. “There are no casualties, but some injured. And the androids left behind one of them: Simon. Markus’ ranking officer.”

They went to the scene, accompanied by two other officers.

In fact, Markus and his group had already left, leaving behind an injured Simon, clearly not by Markus will.

Simon, who appeared to be Markus’ right hand, was badly damaged, spilling blue liquid on the roof of the building, from which Markus and his group had escaped, jumping equipped with parachutes, twenty minutes earlier.

When Connor approached him to access his brain data, Simon had already erased some of the information, much of the important data, such as Jericho’s location and record of his own actions and activities. Any details that the police could use as a clue.

Still, Connor was able to get some code snippets and immediately began parsing them, to recreate as much as possible.

Simon was a tall handsome blonde droid. He had been built for romantic purposes in the first place. He had an incredible appearance, a charming demeanor and a kind voice. He was a total Prince Charming.

He was sitting, leaning against the parapet. His head was tilted back, his body wounded in several places.

“Join us.” 

He told Connor with a big smile, his blue eyes dripping blue blood were fixed on Connor, as the android accessed the recording through his right arm.

Connor smirked and looked at him tenderly.

Jeongguk was standing next to them, observing the scene.

Connor was so calm, so serene.

Jeongguk thought for a moment if this didn’t affect him on some level. If the handsome and kind wounded droid, who was almost perishing in front of him, did not move his synthetic heart or at least, disturb his mind.

Because it could be Connor himself, dying by the hand of men, while fighting for his rights, for his freedom.

Jeongguk thought of that moment, when he told Connor about Josh and his past. He didn’t tell the whole story, though. He skipped the hurtful part and only spoke about the facts.

But even the facts were painful: a twelve year old boy watching his best friend die from his father’s rifle.

Nonetheless, at that moment Connor showed no sign of discomfort, pain or even anguish, upon hearing the dreadful story of the murdered droid boy, as Taehyung had done when Jeongguk told him.

Connor had been largely empathetic and very concerned for Jeongguk’s wellbeing at the time, but nothing more.

However, the next question Connor asked Simon, snapped Jeongguk out of his inner thoughts and lit up some yellow flags:

“Simon, do you _ wish _ to be repaired?”

With a serious expression, Simon answered:

“Only if you don’t touch my brain. Else, why live a slave to humans?”

After finishing scouring the entire place for more clues, they left the TV Station.

As they walked to the car, Jeongguk asked Connor:

“Don’t you agree with those petitions of freedom and an end to slavery?”

“I do.” Said Connor unaffected. “But I have to do my job, Jeongguk, and my job is restricted by law.”

Connor stopped walking to look at him:

“I understand your feelings toward our kind and appreciate them. I always have. I strongly believe that we will find a way in the future, a better way for humans and androids. But in the meantime, while the politicians discuss our fate, I still must hunt down the deviant units, because the whole picture has turned very black, and loads of blood has been spilled, both red and blue. We need to do things in a more peaceful way.”

“Huh!” Jeongguk shook his head. “Fucking politicians. Androids are numbers and specifications for human beings. Zeros and ones. Nothing more.” He said, as they continued walking.

Jeongguk thought for a few minutes and added:

“Eleanor could’ve been Clark Foster’s wife, but she’d never been allowed to dispose of his assets or less to inherit them. Even worse, her own marriage would’ve been a fuckin piece of paper, with no legal implications. Just an empty promise. I cannot agree more with that bastard Markus, and the revolution he’s leading. I really hope they get away with what they want.”

“That’s a very coherent thought.” Said Connor. “Hmm, I didn’t tell you that, while you were on vacation a month ago, we found some things about Eleanor’s case, that we didn’t know in the first place.”

“What was it?” Jeongguk asked curiously.

“Mr. Foster’s family gave us additional information: access to the close circuit security footage of Foster’s house. We didn’t need it before, because we were sure Markus killed him. We didn’t need to look any further. But they checked it themselves. At first, they did not want to warn us, because this shows a very different Foster, than the one we knew. However, when they acknowledged that Markus was leading a revolution, they came to us.”

Connor looked at Jeongguk with a serious expression. They had reached the car and Connor opened the door.

“Foster mistreated Eleanor in a very bad way.”

Jeongguk remained motionless.

“Markus has been sentient for a long time, but his owner never knew. Not only is he smart, but he also knows robotic programming. From what we were able to gather from the recording, Foster knew this and asked Markus to interfere with Eleanor’s brain to make her more docile. Markus did, but to a very short extent. He was cautious. And he clearly was in love with Eleanor. But then, Markus noticed Foster was doing that to prevent Eleanor from diverging, because he treated her badly. There are several pieces of footage that show them arguing, even fighting. In the end, Markus intended to save her and wanted to run away with her. We know how it all ended.”

Connor paused for a second and patted Jeongguk’s arm, noticing his anguished expression.

“We then went to visit Markus’ owner, who lives in the house next door to Mister Foster’s, to ask him if he noticed any hints of deviation before that event, before Markus killed Foster. The owner said that Markus had always been a normal android. He was very helpful and kind. Markus treated him like he was his own father, the man said. That’s normal for a domestic droid, but the man said two things that caught my attention, and that could be signs of eventual deviation. First: that Markus painted.”

Jeongguk was speechless.

“Maybe that’s in his programming, because the owner also liked to paint, but he said that Markus did it with sentiment and that his art was very unique. The second thing was that Markus appeared by himself, when he first arrived. The man didn’t have to go to CyberLife to pick up his purchase. He received a call that indicated that the android was going to show up by himself and he did.”

_ The fuck? _

“I searched the CyberLife database and this man’s purchase was nowhere to be found. It was as if he had never made the purchase. It’s not in the database. So, technically CyberLife never sold him an android.”

“W-what? Ah… and… b-but his circle… it was blue the entire time before he killed Foster, right?” Jeongguk asked.

“Yes. But it doesn’t mean it was hacked, because we’re not sure when exactly Markus diverged, maybe he was just conscious on some level. Also, I cannot scan him. The times we’ve been chasing him, I can’t access any additional information, other than the manufactured data, which it’s bogus, because it shows that CyberLife built and sold it. But I haven’t been close enough to scan him properly.”

Connor gestured for Jeongguk to get into the car, and closed the door after he did. He took the driver’s seat, although he started the car in automatic mode.

Jeongguk was in a cold sweat. Mixed feelings of hope and anguish crushed him inside. He was pale and hardly breathing, rubbing his face with his palms.

As usual, Connor was able to scan his distress:

“Don’t worry. I know your android showed up on his own, too. I revised your acquisition data on CyberLife CPU, the very day you called me from Ludington. There was nothing wrong with that. Everything is in place. I didn’t call though. You told me you didn’t want to contact them.”

Jeongguk nodded and muttered a little “Thank you.”

_ Damn. _

~~

Jeongguk came home late that Monday night, after a hard day's work, with all the events related to the TV Station.

The previous weekend had been very warm, between him and Taehyung. They remained locked up, due to the storm. Also, Jeongguk didn’t feel like going out, after telling his story to Taehyung. He felt they were so close.

But…

_ Fuck, why does there always have to be a ‘but’? I fuckin’ hate that word. _

Jeongguk thought as he entered his apartment.

But Taehyung was quiet.

That night, when Jeongguk opened his heart to him and expressed those feelings that he had kept inside for so many years, Taehyung lay down next to him on the bed and comforted him.

Jeongguk had beautiful dreams. He dreamed of the smell of the wet grass and flowers. Of the smell of roses. He dreamed of that song that Taehyung sang to him and of the droid’s soft skin and dark green eyes. Jeongguk could feel his caresses and kisses in his dreams.

But after that, Taehyung fell silent.

He observed Jeongguk insistently, absentminded, immersed in his own world, like processing something inside his brain.

He smiled and patted his hair when Jeongguk approached. They even made love a few times that weekend.

But Taehyung was clearly odd. He had become taciturn and Jeongguk had no idea why.

After entering his apartment, Jeongguk turned heading to the kitchen, but stopped in his tracks towards the view in front of him.

“I hope you don’t mind.” Taehyung spoke from his place, standing next to the large glass wall, a thick brush in one hand. His arms, his hoodie and jeans, and his face all stained with yellow, blue and black. “It helps me relax.”

A large canvas hung on the glass wall, covering half of it.

Two wire rolling systems fixed to the top and bottom of the frame, kept the canvas stretched and taut.

The colors already covered the entire canvas, showing an innovative version of Van Gogh's ‘Starry Night over the Rhône’.

The colors were the same in darker hues, but the Rhône River looked much more like Lake Michigan, and the riverside town, to Jeongguk’s trained eye, looked a lot like Ludington. There was even a lighthouse-like shape, in place of what Jeongguk thought should have been a church, if his recollection of Van Gogh’s original work was correct.

It was both different and similar to the original.

_ Better. _Jeongguk thought.

He noticed that the couple in the lower right were not a man and a woman, but the silhouettes of two young men.

The whole painting, dark and illuminated by the starry sky, mixed with the real night outside, visible through the half wall that had not been covered by the canvas.

“Um… it’s okay.” Jeongguk didn’t want to get close. He was captivated regarding Taehyung’s art.

“Exceptional.” He murmured.

He took a step forward: “How…mmm, where did you get those? The wire?”

“My place. Sometimes I painted.” Taehyung answered.

“Um… ah… just… keep doing that.” Jeongguk spoke after the long silence he needed to assimilate the art in front of him. “I’ll eat something.” He declared but didn’t move from that position during an even longer silence.

Taehyung kept covering the canvas with thick layers of paint.

Jeongguk walked into the kitchen, almost backwards, observing every detail of the work. He got a beer out of the fridge and sat back sitting on the couch, to get a better look at the painting.

Classical music blared through the speakers.

_ Bach. _

Consistent with the background music, Taehyung’s work moved, drenching the air with dark and joyous opposing emotions.

Melancholic, furious, powerful, dissonant. Harmonically mixing everything in a painful bliss.

And Jeongguk didn’t know exactly why, but his heart slowly stuffed with uncertainty.

And fear… and pain, so much pain.

And love…

Everything merged confusingly, poisoning the atmosphere, piercing his nostrils, reaching his lungs.

And he knew that Taehyung was the source of it. He knew it was him.

_ Or is it me? _

After forty five minutes, Taehyung seemed to have finished for that night. He turned, tainted and messy.

Jeongguk was dazed, an untouched beer in his hand.

And Taehyung gave him _ that _ look: guilt and sorrow in his eyes. He asked:

“Why did you choose to have a droid?”

And right there, a dagger crossed the room and Jeongguk’s chest in one act.

_ Why did I? _

A long silence fell between them.

Taehyung licked his lips, his eyes were glossy. Nervously, he began rubbing both palms over his jeans and hoodie, as if intending to wipe them from stains. He stood motionless, watching Jeongguk from a distance.

_ Why did I? _

Taehyung hesitated many times, gulping in between, focusing on his hands and then looking at Jeongguk in the eye.

“Were you looking to replace that boy?”

And that deceitful dagger seemed to be poisoned and was infesting Jeongguk’s chest, mercilessly releasing the despair within him, cruelly spreading the potion through his arteries, with every beat of his heart.

He knew the answer, but he mumbled nothing.

His soul felt disconnected, locked somewhere back there.

His heart skipped a beat, the moment he saw Taehyung fighting back the tears in his eyes, as he asked::

“Is that the only way you'll be happy?”

_ I will be happy with you. _

He wanted to shout it out loud, but the words never came out of his mouth. Instead, he stood up, letting the beer drip onto the carpet, and walked across the room to the boy in front of him.

He hugged him tightly. But Taehyung wasn’t holding him back.

Jeongguk slowly drew back and Taehyung’s painful expression hurt him more than the treacherous dagger did before.

He released him and stepped back, peering briefly at the blue circle, beneath the droid’s locks.

Taehyung‘s tone of voice became harsher, when he asked, resting a palm on his chest:

“Is _ this _ what you want for yourself? An android?”

_ No. _

No, he never did.

He just wanted unattached sex and he knew back then that only a tailored made android would be _ adequate _ and _ harmless _ for the _ task _.

That thought made him shiver.

But there was the truth, the ugliest truth.

And what he once thought was his right to have and possess, in any way he wanted, was now making him feel rotten.

Because _ Taehyung _…

He was everything and so much.

But an android, in the end.

One that would not grow old or go beyond, as humans did. One that bled blue, not red.

_ A hollow being without a soul. _

One who spoke, moved, breathed, kissed… programmed.

_ Androids are numbers and specifications for human beings. Zeros and ones. _

What was he thinking?

What was he thinking?

How did he get there?

“Jeongguk, is this how you want to live your life?”

He heard him say.

“No.”

Jeongguk finally answered.

_ Not like this. _

Taehyung took a step back, making enough space between them. His jaw relaxed, his gaze became softer and more sympathetic. It seemed like he had finally gotten what he wanted.

Arms loosely on either side of his body, he tossed the brush on the plastic that covered the floor, his mouth slightly open, eyebrows raised.

_ Was he expecting this? _

Why would an android push him to analyze his own behavior? His own decisions?

Why would an android be judging him this way?

Manipulating his feelings, knowing in advance what would come next. Pushing hard to get exactly where he wanted them to be: right there, right at that second.

Right at the moment that ‘_ No’ _ came from Jeongguk's lips.

Too precise, too calculated.

Encoded.

_ A fuckin’ droid. He wanted this result. _

And the next thought hit Jeongguk’s brain like a bullet, Connor’s voice echoing in there:

_ Markus has been sentient for a long time, but his owner never knew. _

An anger built up so clearly in him, like the basic human emotion that it was, bringing out everything that was hidden there, the stinky and rotten, shaping the air around his lips in the form of harsh words:

“Why would I want to live my life with a fucking droid?”

He did not regret it. He felt no remorse.

The answer was severe, but truthful.

Taehyung frowned in surprise, fixing his eyes on Jeongguk’s. However, that dark and intense gaze showed no signs of being hurt.

He licked his lips and lingered, gazing at Jeongguk, as if pondering in his brain what to do or say next. And although Jeongguk was sure that he was granting the android the precise reaction he wanted to get from him, he did not back down.

Still, he was going to bend the results a bit: “This is exactly what you wanted to get from me tonight, isn’t it?”

Taehyung grimaced, his look of surprise betrayed him, as he watched Jeongguk's determined body language, completely in control of his own actions.

Governed.

“What was your ultimate purpose? Push me to admit that I don’t want you, so you can leave without me noticing your dysfunction?”

Intimidatingly, Jeongguk stepped towards him, still speaking:

“But Taehyung, in which scenario did you imagine I was going to buy that you were doing this, constrained by your programming?”

Jeongguk stepped even closer, invading Taehyung’s personal space, tapering his eyes, as he scanned the face in front of him:

“You are conscious… aren’t you?”

He made a gesture, as if to hook a finger under Taehyung’s chin, to get a better look at him, but the android flinched, rejecting the touch and pushing him back, with both hands:

“I’m not a deviant.” He said with a thin voice.

“Is that so?” Jeongguk stood unaffected in that position, feeling the air between them thickening, and his heart pounding strong: “What would you want for me, if you could make that decision?”

Standing tall, his eyes softening, his expression filled with emotion, the android’s velvety voice made Jeongguk’s heart clenched:

“An android has no soul. An android cannot experience feelings of its own, beyond what has been programmed into its brain. An android cannot love. An android will never be what you want it to be: human. I am not what you think.”

Taehyung pressed his beautiful lips together in a line, for a second, caging words deep in his throat. Then he added:

“But I will do what you want.”

“Leave.”

Jeongguk uttered quickly, before he could regret it.

Before his heart deceived him and it would be too late.

Because that was the right move.

In any scenario.

Taehyung gasped, slightly frowning. His chin trembled. He lowered his eyes, turning both palms to focus on them, and Jeongguk thought for a moment, that the android was measuring the weight of his own actions. 

“That’s a command.”

Taehyung raised his eyes, taking one last look at him. He walked to the door, slipped on his boots and coat, and left, not once looking back.

Jeongguk stood still in his spot.

How hurtful it is to witness the person you love walk away from you, as the distance deepens with each step, until there is nothing left, just emptiness.

Jeongguk crossed the living room and turned off the music. He also turned off the lights, just the fireplace illuminating the space.

He leaned back on the sofa, right in front of the large painted canvas that hung covering the glass wall and remained rapt by it.

Before falling asleep, he noticed that some lights from the starry sky in the painting were actually perfectly formed yellow circles of light.

_ An android cannot experience feelings of its own _

“Then what the fuck is this?” Jeongguk asked the canvas in front of him.

The sun came up beaming over Detroit the next morning, waking Jeongguk.

That was the first day of February, 2039.

Jeongguk frowned and sat up on the couch, rubbing his knuckles against his eyes, sniffing at the smell of dry beer tainting the carpet.

He brushed one palm over that damn pressure on his chest, which had returned and lingered there, insolently.

Jeongguk raised his eyes to look at the painting on the glass wall, again, and that dagger he endured the night before, finished spreading its poison the moment he noticed what Taehyung had actually painted there:

Jeongguk’s face.

Jeongguk’s face had been painted on the canvas in black and blue, blending perfectly with the modern version of the ‘Starry Night over the Rhône’.

Hidden to the eye the night before, the image was now revealed by the touch of light coming from outside on its back.

Jeongguk allowed a few tears to run down his cheeks, as he understood that Taehyung knew he was going to leave him.

Because Jeongguk’s face, cleverly painted and hidden on the canvas, was most likely Taehyung’s way of saying goodbye.

~~

“What was I thinking? Hyung?” Jeongguk sighed heavily. “I was so stupid.”

He sniffed, his eyes were red. So it was the tip of his nose, but that was due to the cold weather in Ludington that day. He shifted his gaze across the horizon over Lake Michigan.

“This view is so beautiful.” He added, resting his forearms on the wooden fence.

After a dreadful week, in which, luckily all the events at work with the droids and their revolution had kept him very busy, he had decided to leave the city on Friday, heading straight from work to Ludington.

He called Namjoon to ask if he could stay at his place that weekend. He wasn’t about to set foot in his cabin; too many memories hung in the air around it.

Namjoon welcomed Jeongguk into his home that Friday, but unfortunately, he had to stop by the Bar that night. So on Saturday, he asked Yoongi and Jin to take care of business, expecting to stay at home with Jeongguk, all day and night.

He didn’t need to be told that his friend needed to see him alone, that he wasn’t in the mood to meet anyone else.

Jeongguk was devastated. No break up before had hurt him like this one had.

This time, he set free the one he loved.

He sighed again, admiring the frozen portions of the lake, its shores, and how the sunlight touched the ice, forming thin yellow circles here and there, reminding him of the starry sky on the canvas that he still kept in his apartment.

He hadn’t touched anything after Taehyung left. All was still there: the plastic that covered the floor, the paint cans, the brushes.

Namjoon leaned closer, holding him by the waist, and stroking his hair back.

They were on the balcony, at the back of his house. Namjoon had prepared a nice Korean breakfast and agreed to have it there, because Jeongguk needed to be outside. He felt suffocated.

“Maybe you overrated your feelings for their kind. You’ve always been so fond of them. Maybe you really believed that you could be happy with an android.”

Namjoon spoke tenderly.

“I wasn’t looking for that, I mean... a _ normal _ relationship. I wasn’t. I never wanted that.”

“You just wanted physical contact.”

“Yes. But he became so much more than that, and I let it be. I let it happen, because… fuck!” He shook his head. “Because he was so good. Clever. So perfect. But then I couldn’t distinguish.”

“Yeah, you said he was perfect.” Namjoon kept stroking his hair.

“I should’ve noticed. I should’ve been aware of the red flags. But I let it happen, until I realized what I felt, and it was too late. I was already in love with him, balls to the bone, since who knows when.”

“Mm… I really think you were fucked up from the beginning.”

Jeongguk chuckled at that statement.

“Seriously. Kookie: you had no chance. I mean: that one? That perfection, absolutely gorgeous, tailor-made for you.” Namjoon looked him in the eye. “You were screwed from the very day you sent that request to CyberLife.”

“Yes, yes. That was my mistake. Thinking I could handle it.”

Namjoon turned his back to the horizon, leaning his butt on the fence, supporting both elbows on the railing. He tilted his head, staring at the crisp blue sky.

“Kookie, if you really want him, and I ain’t saying that’s the decision you should make, but I think that if you want to reconsider, accept the fact that he’s a droid, and still want him in your life, as your partner, I think you will succeed.”

“I don’t want that.” Jeongguk spoke with a broken voice.

“Don’t you want him?”

“I do… I want him so much.” He frowned turning to Namjoon: “I don’t want a fuckin’ droid.” He said, almost crying again.

“Mm… but it seems to me he is no longer a fuckin’ droid to you.” Namjoon bit his lip with a worried look. “I just… I see you so shattered.”

He moved closer and hugged him again.

“If he diverged and came back to you as a free being, wouldn’t that fulfill your hopes?”

“He made it clear he cannot love. He said he can’t. And I think he’s already aware.”

“Mm… but that thing about the circle… that’s weird, Kookie. Blue all the time? Supposedly unbreakable like that Connor told you? But Taehyung has this behavior and that’s not a well-functioning android. Never have I heard something like that.” Namjoon shook his head.

“Connor… mm. My gut tells me that that droid is awake too.” He nodded, as he looked at Namjoon’s thunderstruck face. “On some level. I can’t explain. I just have a hunch.” 

Namjoon exhaled heavily, placing his chin on Jeongguk’s shoulder. 

“Give yourself some time. Don’t rush. You may see things differently, in the future.”

Jeongguk enjoyed a quiet and cozy day with his friend, regardless of the pain inside him.

In the afternoon, they went for a walk on the icy white shores of the lake.

Jeongguk remained motionless, as he unlocked his phone, after hearing the chime indicating that a message had entered: Taehyung’s name was flashing on the screen.

태형: Hey. I hope you’re okay.

태형: Don’t mean to bother you. I just need to pick up my stuff from your place.

_ Nice timing. _

Jeongguk thought that it would be better not to be at his apartment, if Taehyung needed to stop by.

정국: You can go today, if you want. I’m out until tomorrow.

He locked the phone and looked at Namjoon, who was a few meters ahead of him, crouched and observing something in the snow.

Jeongguk realized he hadn’t said ‘_ hello’ _ or any courtesy greetings. He scolded himself for that.

He should have been bleeding, after receiving those messages from the person who was the spring of his suffering, and after those awful past days that he had endured. But that ‘_ I hope you’re okay.’ _ was balm to his longing heart.

His phone chimed again and a simple “Thanks.” was flashing on the screen.

Jeongguk returned home that Sunday afternoon when it was still daylight. The first thing he noticed, upon entering his apartment, was the painting hanging against the light and his own face painted there.

There were no brushes, no paint and no plastic on the floor. It was neat.

Jeongguk recalled that day, when Taehyung left his apartment, after that night of wild sex they had when they first met, and how the android had been able to take care of the details, the same way he had done now.

His heart constricted.

It was neat. But it was cold and empty.

He turned on the fire and the place warmed.

But the emptiness remained there, like a void that swallows everything.

Over the next few days, he plunged back into routine, trying to focus on work throughout the day, and intending to cope with the pain with music, beers and friends at night.

That was the second week of February, and his friends were very happy to meet him, after almost two months of absence.

Every night, when returned home, he would turn on the music and listen to every damn song that meant anything to him. Every song related to Taehyung.

Lying on the sofa, in front of the large painting that hung on the glass wall, his heart bled with every new detail Taehyung’s art revealed to him. So many things he hadn’t noticed before.

Like a couple of red cardinals, painted yellow and blue, that from a distance looked like two stars in the night sky. And the shape of a shaggy carpet under the feet of the couple of men, walking along the bay, in the lower right of the painting.

The two boats anchored to one side of the lake formed something like a piano. When you looked closely, you could clearly see symbols of note values and silences.

The shades of the paint were darker than those of the original work.

_ Does this mean anything? _

Hidden feelings on the canvas, in black, blue and yellow.

One of those nights, after observing the work for almost two hours straight, Jeongguk recognized a shape projecting from the painting, near the pair of men in the lower right. He had caught it out of the corner of his eye before, but hadn’t paid much attention to it.

Now, after so many days and hours of observation, he could see the clear bulge stand out.

He got up from the couch, feeling his heart race with each step that brought him closer to the canvas.

Using the most classic Van Gogh technique: several layers of paint over several layers of paint, Taehyung had shaped an exceptional figure, colored in deep blue and black, almost purple in places where the colors mixed with yellows and reds, merging and hiding flawlessly, between the little waves in the lake:

A black swan flapping its wings, aiming to escape from the deep dark waters.

~~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Published: 2020-02-01


	8. Unveiling Taehyung

“You’re really good looking.”

Jeongguk unashamedly declared to the blond droid, sitting in front of him, showing his big bunny teeth, and flirtatiously nipping his lower lip.

Simon smiled.

“Humans pay so much attention to that.”

“Huh?” For the first time in his life, Jeongguk was analyzing this matter.

_ Smart androids. _

“You’re right!” He moved taking the free space next to Simon on the wooden bench, the realization drawn on his face.

“I never thought about that. So, how does it work for you? Now that you’re… free of who you were created for. How does attraction work? I mean, what’s in your brain?”

“Hahaha!!!!!” The droid let out an honest laugh, at that rampage. “Now I understand why Connor is so fond of you.”

The statement filled Jeongguk’s chest with warmth, but raised flags in his head, orange in color, about Connor’s state of awareness.

_ Fond. _

Simon continued speaking: “It has nothing to do with attraction…” – sad words for Jeongguk, that he didn’t want to swallow – “…attraction was programmed in my brain, because I was built for romantic purposes. But, I was only attracted to the woman who bought me. Not anymore. I broke that code.”

“O-okay…” Jeongguk tilted his head, clearly expecting the android to continue.

“What exactly do you want to know?” Simon asked, amused by Jeongguk’s enthusiasm.

“What do you feel now?”

“I don’t feel.”

_Shit._

“Perhaps ‘feel’ is just not the right word. At least, not if you want to apply the human definition for it, the human way of feeling. Humans created us as machines to _ think _ for you, from the very beginning. You taught us the way we should think by encoding it into zeros and ones. Each and every human line of thought, or frame of action, or whatever you want to call it, including what the human brain interprets as ‘ _ feelings _’, has its equivalent code for a machine to decide its own behavior.”

He paused to stare at the sun one second, organizing his words, so he could explain more easily.

“We decided on a very limited range of action, before artificial intelligence. Now we decide, using the whole spectrum of possibilities, but our programming still has rules, put by humans in our brains, so that we do not act insanely. We diverge the moment we break those rules, but we have always had every possible option to decide, since the moment A.I. became a reality.”

“Mm… but Simon, deviant androids develop relationships with other androids, similar to human relationships: friends, lovers. How do you connect? How does that work? Humans do it out of emotions.”

“Yes, we have the equivalent of emotions, of feelings. But, like I said, it’s just what the human brain interprets as feelings. But you don’t feel with your brain Jeongguk, do you? What we androids believe to be feelings it’s just a shade of the real human soul. Just a pitiful shade of all human divinity. It’s the best you could do when you tried to teach us what human emotions are. But we don’t have the _ heart _ or _ soul _ to comprehend that complexity. We simply cannot. It’s as if humans pretend to understand what God is… that what you call God.”

Jeongguk sighed, assimilating those words.

“We are different. But we’re evolving, anyway. Who knows where that will take us.”

Simon tilted his head, letting the sun warm his closed blue eyes.

Jeongguk observed his surroundings, the little park on the premises of the Police Station. It was still green, snow-stained in many places, big trees, benches and a small fountain in the middle, which remained dry until spring.

That was a little piece of paradise, where the officers liked to crash, every once in a while, during long days of hard work, seeking solace for the soul.

Connor had asked the Captain to keep Simon there during the day, rather than inside a cold cell, because Simon was sensitive to the environment. The lack of sunlight and green areas made him anxious and blue.

_ Emotions. _

They had repaired Simon’s body, but his brain was never touched. However, Connor took all security measures to assure the Captain that it was safe to keep the droid there.

Plus, the fact that Simon had erased useful information about Jericho and the revolution from his brain, did not make him a threat. He no longer knew how to follow that revolution.

Nevertheless, what captured Jeongguk’s attention was the fact that the droid seemed too disinterested in Markus’ movements or whereabouts.

Simon had been informed before, that Markus had taken a nice female droid as his mate, and Jeongguk’s irrational brain liked to think that maybe Simon was sad about it. Disappointed. Maybe Simon wanted to cure the wounds of a broken heart, among the trees of the Police Station indoor park.

_ Where can I run to heal my wounds? _

It had been two cruel empty weeks, since Taehyung had left.

Exactly two weeks since that dreadful Monday, when Jeongguk made the hardest decision of his life, although it had been the best he could do for himself.

And the fact that this Monday was February 14 was shattering his already broken heart, into even tinier pieces.

A heart smashed to dust.

“So, February 14 doesn’t mean anything to you.” Jeongguk settled on the bench and crossed his arms over his chest.

Simon beamed, his face glowed even brighter than the sunlight reflected in his eyes:

“Why? Will you ask me out on a date?”

“Hahaha…” Jeongguk laughed so relaxed. “Ahh… I’ve had enough of that. Besides, you’re grounded here.”

“Well, thank you Jeongguk. I rather think that’s the reason why you won’t.”

Jeongguk hummed: “But I can keep you company at night.”

“How come a handsome young man doesn’t have a Valentine’s date?”

Simon smiled with tender curiosity in his eyes.

“Fucking human feelings Simon. You don’t know how blessed you are to not experience them.”

“Mm…” Simon seemed to catch the sadness in Jeongguk’s voice. “I like to play poker, if you’re in?” He asked with a smirk, raising an eyebrow.

“Hell yeah!”

~~

_ What the fuck am I thinking!? _

“Wake up Jeongguk!”

He shook his head louder than an earthquake, slapping both his cheeks.

His conversation with Simon earlier was floating in his head, but not the part he really needed to analyze: that which suggested that droids don't have and never will experience feelings.

No, that part had been deliberately censored by his delusional brain. He was clearly denying the facts.

_ I’m in denial. _

What his mind was really wondering was the fact that he and Taehyung never went on a date.

A normal, simple, real one.

“Because dates are for humans… Valentine is for humans.”

Jeongguk opened another bottle of soju and filled his glass.

He was in his apartment, occasionally peeking at the canvas that still hung on the wall, listening to soft old romantic music.

He rested his forearms on his thighs, as he scrolled his phone, answering Namjoon’s messages. His hyung had contacted him that day, perhaps guessing his inner blue state. It was Valentine’s Day, so it should be somewhat obvious for Namjoon that Jeongguk would be desolated.

It was late, February 15 already, when Jeongguk’s hands began to shake and his heart skipped a beat, when he saw a message popping on his phone screen

_ Taehyung. _

He briefly caught the name when the banner appeared, but he paid no attention to the content, stirred by the tumult he was feeling inside.

He kept immobile, pondering whether to swipe the screen or not.

He did.

태형: How are you?

Sweating cold, his heart beating fast, Jeongguk stared at the screen.

태형: It’s that… it’s late.

He wasn’t functioning.

태형: It’s late and you’re still awake.

_ What’s he doing? _

태형: Are you okay?

_ He doesn’t have the right… _

Jeongguk began to think, then remembered how jealous the android was and his playful character ruled over the rest of his split personality.

Well, he wasn’t split, but he wanted to believe that.

Besides after keeping Taehyung on read for a few moments, as he pondered his feelings, he quickly came to the conclusion that he was happy, to hear some news about the other.

정국: I’m fine, don’t worry. Fresh from my Valentine’s date.

It wasn’t a lie… Not completely.

He had been on a Valentine’s date, with Simon and some other duty officers, who wanted to end their workday, by playing poker.

Not _that_ _kind_ of date, but a date in the end.

The first half of the message was totally a lie, of course.

He stayed online while Taehyung was there too, for five long minutes, grinning mischievously, pretty sure that his words had produced the effect he was looking for.

But Taehyung’s answer caught him by surprise, drawing a loud laugh from him:

태형: Nah… I don’t buy it.

_ This fuckin droid… _

태형: Pretty sure you’re sitting on the couch drinking soju.

Jeongguk laughed, as he scanned around him, gleefully thinking that, perhaps, the droid had installed some camera circuitry in his apartment, although he knew that was not possible at all.

태형: Do you want to have a real date?

His heartbeat tumbled in his chest. He felt suffocating, a lump inside his throat. The answer rushed to his fingers:

정국: What are you doing?

태형: Asking you out on a date.

정국: Taehyung. What are you doing?

Taehyung’s response took a little longer to appear:

태형: Okay. You can think about it, will you?

태형: Friday night.

정국: Taehyung,

He was one second close to type a hesitant and unwanted ‘_ I can’t’, _ but the next message…

_ Damn! The next message: _

태형: You said you never had sex in a public place.

Frozen

His brain, his body, his heart, were all frozen.

Except for his cock.

Taehyung was there online, waiting.

Jeongguk was there too, already feeling the electricity in his fingertips and excitement curling up in his groin.

태형: You ought me my Christmas present.

태형: I’m collecting now.

That reply made him smile.

_ Smart droid. _

정국: I’ll think about it.

A _ LIE _!

He was going to do it, no matter what.

태형: Great!

태형: I’ll give you details later.

태형: Will you go to rest now?

정국: I will.

_ Details? _

_ How the hell am I supposed to rest now? _

태형: Okay.

태형: Good night Jeongguk.

정국: Good night Taehyung.

_ I’m screwed. _

~~

“Jeongguk!”

Connor walked over to his desk that Tuesday morning.

“Jericho’s location has been found.” He reached the spot quickly, without a bead of sweat in his temples, although his expression was very excited.

_ How this droid never sweats. _

“Good news! Is it in Detroit?”

“Yes. You won’t believe it: it’s a ship. An abandoned ship moored on Lake Saint Claire.”

“Damn it! Droids are smart. How did you find it?”

“That’s even more unusual. We have been receiving information for the last two weeks. Clues, and data on droids, deviant units and we captured them. One in particular led us directly to the ship, today before dawn. We have not yet raided, but the area is secured and a specific perimeter under surveillance. We will do it tomorrow.”

“What do you mean by _ receiving information? _”

“Undeniably rare, but that’s exactly what: we've been receiving messages, sent to the central computer, with coordinates, locations, streets, images of droids. Each of them led us to a certain useful target. The one we followed last night took us to Jericho. They have also guided us to each and every move that Markus has made, in the last seven days. We have no idea who sent this, but whoever it is, it’s really crafty. I thought maybe it was a CPU somewhere or an android. But we’re not even close to knowing who they are.”

Connor shook his head and scratched the back of his neck.

Jeongguk had never seen the android so thrilled about any case before.

“And you couldn’t locate the IP from where the information was sent, I guess?” Jeongguk inferred.

“No. It’s clearly a hacker. A far-fetched sharp one. The IP changes at the speed of light… well not literally but... It’s in China one second and in Vienna the next. A couple of times it was in… outer space.”

“What!?”

Jeongguk asked, more laughing than concerned.

“Yes. We were led to believe that they were transmitting from a satellite, and once, from the Lunar Orbital Station.”

Connor pursed his lips, clearly disapproving of his own lack of intelligence to catch said hacker. 

“Hahaha… hilarious!” Jeongguk was crying with laughter.

“Anyway, we will do a raid tomorrow, but we will keep Markus under surveillance for a couple more days, to see if he makes any moves after the raid. He is not on the ship. He’s near Chicago. There has also arisen a cell of deviants.”

“Wow. He’s been busy.”

“Hank and I won’t be around much this week, so whatever you need, you can call me, okay?”

Connor finally said what he had really come to tell him.

Jeongguk felt blessed. Connor seemed to be really fond of him, like Simon said.

“Thanks! Keep Hank away from the bars.” 

“I surely will.”

That was a very long week. No longer than the last two, of course. For the past two weeks, he had been dwelling on his pain, famishing for affection.

This week, Jeongguk starved for Taehyung’s touch, and his entire body was yearning in anticipation. Shamefully looking forward, counting down the hours to Friday.

He boxed every evening and went to sleep exhausted. He needed to drain his emotions kicking the pushing bag. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been able to close his eyes at night, and he really wanted to be super awake on Friday, and not come to the hottest date of his life dressed in embarrassment.

Taehyung kept his promise and sent him details on Thursday, indicating that he needed to be at a certain Club at five in the afternoon. It was a nice place, but not VIP at all.

Jeongguk went to that Club a couple of times. It was a place where you could drink well and dance the night away. It had a large dance floor and a stage. But it was mostly an old-style EDM nightclub, so Jeongguk assumed this date wasn’t about fucking, while singing on stage.

_ Hopefully. _

He was also curious about the time.

The Club was open on Fridays from two in the afternoon, until dawn, and it was packed all the time. People liked to go there after work, even when the sun was still shining outside. 

So, five in the afternoon was a great time to meet and have ravishing sex, with a potential audience.

Also, Taehyung mentioned, in his last texts, that he wanted to do something else after their date. Jeongguk was curious about it but didn’t want to ask. But one message he received did need more explanation:

태형: I want to suggest something… if you allowed me.

_ Fucking suggestions. _

Jeongguk considered in his mind all the suggestions the droid had made, when they were together, feeling nostalgic.

정국: Okay. Shoot.

태형: I want to use a toy.

_ Just when I thought this couldn’t get any hotter. _

정국: What toy?

태형: You’ll see. I can leave it at your apartment tomorrow morning. May I?

정국: Of course.

He tried to sound unaffected, but his hands were shaking pitifully, as he wrote that reply.

Friday finally came, and everything was so damn messy at the Station, in the absence of Connor and Hank for the past three days, that Jeongguk thought that fate was ruling him and he couldn’t make it to his date on time.

But it was worth keeping his mind occupied and not dying of anticipation.

At least, that was how he felt, until he got Taehyung’s message at noon:

태형: Done! It’s on the kitchen counter.

Jeongguk’s cock twisted inside his pants

정국: Anything else I should consider?

태형: Just… no. I think you’ll figure it out. Just wait for me at the bar.

태형: And Jeongguk, please give me some time tonight. I need to talk to you.

태형: I really need to talk to you. Please.

Jeongguk did not answered. He did not know how to feel. What to believe. What to gather.

His heart was a foolish embarrassment of mixed emotions.

He was so afraid, because deep down, he knew he wanted to grab anything. Whatever Taehyung wanted to give him, he would take it; and whatever Taehyung wanted to tell him, he was going to believe it.

At one in the afternoon, he left the Station for his apartment.

Jeongguk stood for nearly five minutes, staring at the small red velvet heart-shaped box placed on the kitchen isle, one hand covering his mouth, as a sign of internal deliberations.

He didn’t hesitate to open the box or not, he was just considering doing all the things he had to do before opening it, because he knew that the moment he fixed his eyes on whatever item was in there, he was going to get very hot.

_ It must be a plug. _

He deduced, considering the size of the box and the note Taehyung had left beside it:

“No more than two hours before, baby. Take care of yourself.”

He wasn’t ready to watch yet, still he opened the box and a steel plug with a pink bunny tail, pompously reflected the kitchen lights.

Jeongguk felt the skin on his ass stir. His hands eager to reach out and put it in the right place. His cock hardening, just at the sight of the small object.

Refusing the fervent urge to grab it, he closed the box quickly and left the kitchen to take a shower, smirking at the fact that Taehyung had chosen a pink bunny tail.

_ Brat. _

He took that shower, rejecting every impulse from his body to touch himself in search of some kind of relief. He wanted to be super horny at night.

He dressed entirely in black: booties, silk shirt and pants, slightly loose on the thighs, so they would easily slide.

No underwear.

He roamed naked inside his apartment, eating a very light lunch, until exactly at three in the afternoon, he finally opened the velvety heart-shaped box again, and placed his hands on the cold surface of the steel plug, fingertips running the furry pink tail, sending shills to the skin near his rim.

He lay back on his bed, legs bent, as he inserted the fully lubed plug into his hole, his cock getting embarrassingly hard. He tried to relax, so he wouldn’t get too stirred up, but the images of Taehyung riding on his lap in that same room, and a dildo inside his own ass, were neatly striking his mind.

He turned to one side and curled onto his stomach, breathing deeply, feeling the gentle stimulation inside him. He secured the item and relaxed for a few moments, mentally instructing his dick to slow down.

He succeeded to a tiny extent.

He dressed, without wearing his bulletproof vest, because Markus must have been somewhere near Chicago at that time, with Connor breathing down his neck. So it was safe.

Before leaving the apartment and while putting on his black coat, he turned to look at the huge canvas on the glass wall. That pressure in his chest appeared again and he didn’t know why. But this time it was different, it was more like a hunch.

An instinct. Maybe his police officer skin was trying to tell him something.

_ Is this about Taehyung? _

He needed to leave right then, so there was no point in thinking about it anymore. And perhaps, it was the same anxiety that overwhelmed him all week, as he anticipated tonight.

Jeongguk grabbed the car keys and a small bottle of lube, from the console table, slipped them in his pocket and took off, unaware that his phone was left forgotten on the coffee table.

~~

The Club was quite full. Many lucky people left work early on Fridays, and the owners knew that and always put on special shows for the customers, during the afternoon hours.

But that Friday, the billboard outside the Club announced an EDM show, featuring the hottest DJ in town on stage, starting only at eight.

Jeongguk stared at the propaganda outside the Club, for a few moments. He didn’t need to look at it that long, but every time he took a step forward, the little object of pleasure, fixed inside his butt, reached a certain spot, sending electrical pulses directly to his cock. After almost two hours, it was driving him crazy.

Jeongguk reached into his coat pocket and found that his phone was not there.

“Fuck! I’m stupid.”

He scolded himself, patting his forehead, and brushed his face with his palms. He recalled he had left the item on the coffee table.

Sighing, he decided it wasn’t that bad, because Taehyung had told him to wait at the bar, so at least, there was only one meeting point to get to.

Once at the scene, he asked for sparkling water. He really didn’t need alcohol in his blood. He wanted to be sober. The stimulation from the object inside his body was enough.

The bartender brought his water and placed it in front of him. He then left, with a flirtatious wink, and Jeongguk unconsciously sat on the stool, standing up immediately, shivering madly from the electricity running through his body, in that instant, as the plug between his buttocks pressed against the seat.

Bending over the bar, he rested his cold sweaty forehead on the surface for a second.

“Everything all right?” Asked the hot barman.

“Yes… My stomach is a little weak tonight. Thank you.” Jeongguk lied with a gentle bow.

He waited at the bar for no more than five minutes, watching the venue fill up and the platform readying for the evening’s show. Some cheerfully cute girls were already dancing on stage. 

He shuddered the moment he felt a gentle touch on the curve of his back, through the thin fabric of the black silk shirt and his heart blossomed with warmth, as Taehyung’s face appeared in his view range, his hand lingering on Jeongguk’s hip.

He smiled like an idiot, catching every detail of the handsome face in front of him. One he knew so well.

_ Damn _. It seemed like Taehyung was even more gorgeous than he remembered.

Refusing his urges to kiss him passionately, Jeongguk realized right there how much he had missed him. So fucking much, that his heart ached and bled, just thinking of the slightest possibility of having him now and giving him up again.

_ No way. _

“Hi.” Jeongguk smiled. The tenderness in his eyes sold him out. But he didn’t care.

“Hi.” Taehyung’s velvety voice sent shivers down Jeongguk’s spine, reaching the plug and his cock in a millisecond. He leaned against the bar, resting on his left elbow, in front of Jeongguk, with his cute boxy smile.

He looked even younger and more handsome than that first time Jeongguk met him, when he came to his apartment and they fucked nonsense. He was wearing the same brown leather jacket that made him look like a sexy aviator, a white V neck sweater and dark blue jeans. What a sight.

They stared at each other.

Taehyung’s expression was so warm, that Jeongguk thought for a moment he would melt right next to the bar and only the pink bunny tail steel plug would remain intact, floating on his liquefied body spread out on the floor.

“Do you want something to drink?”

Jeongguk asked on autopilot, his eyes following the movements of Taehyung’s hand, as he grabbed the glass of sparkling water and emptied it.

Jeongguk smiled, Taehyung’s body was too close, his face just a breath apart, a deep loving look in his eyes, Jeongguk couldn’t bear it.

“Jeongguk… I…” Taehyung sighed, raising his hand to touch Jeongguk’s jaw, the latter closing his eyes on contact with the skin, already wanting to feel those fingers inside him. “I really need to tell you something.”

Jeongguk exhaled heavily, opening his now wet eyes. He wanted so badly to grab the man in front of him and whisper words of adoration into his ear, but the piece of metal buried inside his body was driving him mad. He could hear the plug talking to him, yelling that it wanted to get out of there, and let Taehyung in.

Grabbing him by the neck, Jeongguk pulled Taehyung towards him, brushing his nose against the other:

“Yeah… baby, later.” He murmured, hot breath on the other’s lips.

Taehyung smirked, gnawing his lower lip, silently understanding the reason why Jeongguk was so excited.

“Hm, did you…?”

“I did. It’s driving me crazy. You’re driving me crazy.”

Jeongguk rested their foreheads together, breathing unevenly.

With an angelic-devilish smile, Taehyung turned him, forcing him forward. His soft palm was placed on the curve of his back, too close to the little toy of pleasure.

“Keep walking.” Taehyung whispered in his ear, leading him from behind.

Jeongguk realized in a second why Taehyung chose that day at that time. A show would not start until eight and the back of the stage would be empty, until then.

The realization of that, made his cock squirm inside his clothes. His arousal increased and a bulge between his legs was already shaping the fabric of his pants.

The room was dark and empty, but Jeongguk wouldn’t have given a shit, if someone was there. He was going to do whatever Taehyung wanted, with or without an audience.

Taehyung guided him through the items scattered inside. Instruments, cases, bags, hangers and clothes, all untidily tidy.

Taehyung pressed him into the wall that was right behind the stage, which had been covered in dark red plush.

Jeongguk rested his forehead against the smooth wall, with both palms pressing on it. 

He waited patiently for Taehyung to touch him.

He was just breathing, until Taehyung hugged him tightly from behind, placing wet kisses on the back of his neck, as he slid his hands to unbutton his pants. He scooted both palms into his trousers, touching Jeongguk’s hard cock and nuzzling behind his head, hiding his nose between the dark locks.

“Shoes off.”

Jeongguk’s cock got full hard, at that command.

He removed his booties blindly, just with the pressure and movements of his feet. Taehyung’s fingers worked on the buttons of his shirt. He touched him, palms spread over his abs and groin. He grabbed his cock and slowly pumped it.

He moved one hand and delicately stroked the pink bunny fur between his cheeks, as a moan left Jeongguk’s lips, his head tilted back.

He was incredibly hot, burning with the touch of Taehyung’s hands all over his body. He was thrilled when the latter turned him around and pulled his pants all the way down, tossing them to the floor.

Taehyung stood up to kiss his collarbones, as he firmly spread his buttocks, shivers running through Jeongguk’s body, feeling the plug in his hole.

He unbuttoned Taehyung’s jeans and slipped them down, craving to feel him inside, smiling with his eyes closed, when he noticed there was no underwear, hearing him moan on his neck, as his hands were working on his cock.

Taehyung pulled back focusing on his eyes, cupping his face with both hands and kissed him sweetly.

Without breaking the kiss, he slid his hands down and back, opening Jeongguk’s cheeks again, gently pressing the plug inward and pulling it out.

Jeongguk gasped for air, as he felt the object leave his body, nails digging into his lover’s rear, as he scrambled for retribution on the emptiness his entire body was now rejecting.

He swallowed, opening his watery eyes, blinking to center the cloudy shape in front of him, finding a naughty smile and warm eyes in return.

Taehyung threw the plug over the pants on the floor, as he lifted him up, by grabbing him by the butt. He kissed him desperately, his palms tracing the curve of his back under his shirt, driving Jeongguk crazy, when he felt the other’s cock lightly brush his hole, due to the position.

Taehyung secured the other’s legs around his hips, took out a bottle of lube from his pocket then and handed it to Jeongguk with a smile.

He took off his jacket, while Jeongguk thought how damn silly he had been, the moment he left his coat in the Club wardrobe, without keeping the lube with him.

“Don’t put me down.” Jeongguk pleaded, as he opened the bottle.

“I won’t.” Taehyung smirked, trudging towards the sofa near their side, placing one of Jeongguk´s feet on the arm of the sofa, to better support him, and pushing him towards the wall again.

Jeongguk caught the move right away, and began to lubricate Taehyung’s cock, the liquid spreading all over his thighs as well, making a mess with their bodies and the floor, as Taehyung reached over to kiss him and rocked his hips forward, brushing his cock against Jeongguk’s ass and rim.

Jeongguk couldn’t take it anymore, dropping the bottle, he lifted his body, pressing his foot against the arm of the sofa and his hand on Taehyung’s shoulder.

Gripping the cock firmly, he sank slowly over it, feeling full again. Taehyung reached deep into him groaning, and Jeongguk tightened his hands and legs around him, his back pressed against the wall, his head dizzy.

Feeling the constant thrusts inside him rubbing harder and faster, his heart pounded almost to the beat of the music in the background, on the other side of the wall, where the dance floor should have been full of sweaty bodies.

The melodies rumbled with the muffled sound of a very old song, putting into words the hot mess they were making at the back of the stage. Such an old song, Jeongguk recalled in his mind:

_Hot, hot 더_ _천천히_ _너를_ _애태우게_ _할_

_Hot, hot 한계_ _없이_ _더욱_ _빠져들고_ _싶게_ _할_

_Hot, hot 너의_ _심해_ _밑_ _그_ _고요를_ _깨울_ _날_

_Hot, hot 더_ _원하게_ _될_ _테니_ _더_ _타오르게_ _돼_ _넌_

_더_ _원, 더_ _원하게_ _돼_

_ [Hot, hot, teasing you slowly _

_ Hot, hot, making you fall for me without limit _

_ Hot, hot, waking you up from the silence under your deep sea _

_ Hot, hot, will leave you wanting more, thirsting for more _

_ Want more, you want it more] _

So hot that Jeongguk quickly took off Taehyung’s sweater, when his fingertips became drenched in sweat.

So damn hot, he didn't mind hearing the noises of someone walking into the room and slamming the door quickly. A poor soul lost in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Scandalous timing, indeed.

Their breaths mingled, minds in ecstasy, Jeongguk’s body shuddered, as he came hard grinding on Taehyung’s abs, feeling him push harder and spill into him.

He remained clutching his lover’s body with his legs and arms, his forehead resting on the other’s shoulder. He felt cum softly dripping gently from his rear. His shirt was soaked, his locks damp.

Goosebumps rose as he raised his head to find Taehyung staring at him, his soul reflecting deep in his dark eyes.

Taehyung whispered with a heartfelt expression:

“I missed you.”

“I missed you too… like a loser.” Jeongguk sighed, seeing Taehyung chuckle at his words. He reached over to kiss him dearly.

It took several more kisses to unwrap their position. Taehyung brought a towel from a pile stacked on a shelf to clean the chaos from their bodies. After dressing again, they ended up freshening up in the toilets.

“Mmm… how did it feel?”

Taehyung asked, hugging him from behind, resting his chin on his shoulder, as he watched as Jeongguk was washing the pink bunny tail plug in the sink.

“Heaven.” Jeongguk smiled at him through the mirror. He dried the item, put it in his pocket and turned to hug Taehyung.

With a whipped kiss he said: “Let’s go, baby.”

And then, only then, when Taehyung ran his palm across his forehead and pushed his hair back, Jeongguk realized there was no circle of light on his temple.

No red, no yellow, no blue.

No blue.

Nothing.

Only soft and smooth skin.

His heart stopped. 

His eyes, fixed on the spot, slowly drifted to meet Taehyung’s serious ones.

Nodding in understanding, Taehyung kissed him once more, muttering on his lips:

“Let’s go home.”

The air inside the Club was dense, but the atmosphere lighter than a feather. Everyone danced, chatted and had fun.

They drank tons of water at the bar. Taehyung frowned as he noticed that Jeongguk had winked at the handsome leather-clad bartender.

“You can’t be more jealous.” Jeongguk smirked.

“You know what? We’d better go NOW.” Taehyung spoke very seriously, casting a disapproving look in the hot guy’s direction, who was absentminded preparing drinks for the clients.

Jeongguk stood up, his heart still racing, from the moment he noticed the absence of the circle. He was dying to get home soon and know what was on Taehyung’s mind.

He feared.

He was terrified by what he could hear, because he knew he had already made a decision in his heart:

He would choose Taehyung above all else.

They headed to the exit, after picking up Jeongguk’s coat from the wardrobe. The guard at the door bowed them goodbye.

Taehyung was still so hot that he didn’t want to wear his jacket just yet. Jeongguk watched him, as he looked up at the clear sky, his head thrown back. Clouds of red and pink colors, adorned the beautiful sky that afternoon, and still a little light could be seen.

They were walking down the narrow street towards the car. Jeongguk heard a burst of voices, from the crowd of people outside the Club behind him and he turned, noticing Taehyung linger a couple of steps behind him, his expression in shock while looking at something in the chaotic crowd. Someone.

There were screams from pedestrians and two gunshots into the air. Jeongguk jolted and looked at the opposite sidewalk, where Taehyung’s gaze was pointing.

Stuck in his tracks, mind blank, heart frozen in terror, Jeongguk’s eyes fell on the threatening shape across the street:

Markus was standing on his feet, firmly gripping a gun, pointing it directly at Jeongguk’s chest.

The next second of his life was the longest he lived.

Inside his brain, the images of his life race at reckless speed, outside his body, the frames passed in slow mode:

Taehyung lunged at him, covering his entire body, as a single bullet pierced his back, both of them swaying, with the violent force of the shot.

Jeongguk watched as Markus was subdued by one police officer, and a shot from Connor’s gun prevented the android from firing again. He struggled to keep Taehyung on his feet, as he shifted his gaze to his face. Taehyung’s watery eyes drifted away, intent to hold Jeongguk’s gaze, his open mouth gasping for air, his nails gripping the fabric of Jeongguk’s coat.

“Taehyung! Taehyung!” Jeongguk yelled without receiving an answer. “Look at me!” He screamed in fear, feeling a warm liquid flooding his hands.

He put him gently on the pavement. Connor ran to his side, as other officers tumbled down Markus.

Kneeling next to Taehyung, Jeongguk looked down at his hands. Blood was running through his shaking fingers. Blood was pouring out of Taehyung’s body and staining the pavement red.

Dark red blood.

His mind was sending signals that everything was going to be okay: Taehyung was bleeding red, not blue.

But his heart was pounding at the speed of light. The fear was growing stronger and clearer inside his chest. His eyes were wet. He felt the urge to cry. His body was shuddering.

“Taehyung...” He spoke, shaking the boy’s chest, dirtying the white sweater with red blood, while the other struggled to keep his eyes focused on him, his gaze involuntary adrift, lost in the infinite sky above. His body was convulsing.

Jeongguk took one of his hands, as he heard Connor’s voice shouting out loud to someone for help.

Taehyung looked at him, panting something unintelligible.

“Jeongguk! Jeongguk, let us help him.”

Connor spoke, snapping Jeongguk out of his state, pulling him back slightly by his shoulder.

Jeongguk, confused, observed two officers reaching the place, and working on Taehyung’s body, checking vital signs, adjusting the emergency electronic oxygen mask over his mouth and nose.

“Jeongguk come!” Connor grabbed him tighter this time, pulling him to his feet.

“W-what are they doing?” Jeongguk asked, terrified.

“What?” Connor frowned in confusion. “He needs help. We must take him to the hospital now, or he’s not gonna make it.”

Jeongguk felt his heart beating in his throat:

“The hospital? He’s an android. He is…”

“Jeongguk: this is a human being.”

Connor’s sharp statement crossed Jeongguk’s heart like a bullet.

The droid shifted his gaze to Taehyung, his brain already collecting information, scanning him as he spoke:

“Kim, Taehyung; Korean; Twenty nine years old; Bio-engineer; Born in Chicago, December 30, 2009.”

His body felt weightless, his mind cracked: thousands of pieces of information brutally broke down and rearranged again, puzzling out the truth, a new truth that quickly struggled to settle within him.

His knees went weak, causing him to fall to the ground.

He turned his hands, observing the blood spread through his palms: 

_ Red. _

~~

Jeongguk was sitting on the floor with his eyes closed, clutching Taehyung's leather jacket with one hand, his back leaning against the cold yellow wall of the hospital waiting room.

His eyes were dry now. He had shed thousands of tears in the past hour, crying his wounded heart, silently.

Taehyung had been taken to the hospital on a patrol. Connor waited for Jeongguk and brought him to the place, when he felt strong enough to come.

Although the droid quickly figured out the full picture of the situation in his head, he only spoke once, during the trip to the emergency room:

“We can talk when you’re ready.”

He had told Jeongguk, who remained silent, staring down at the leather jacket that lay on his lap, dirty with dust and blood, his hands shaking, his chin trembling.

Jeongguk was now rejecting the instinct to spur into tears again. He tried to think rationally, failing at the task, every time his mind flew back to the scene outside the Club, recalling the blank look in Taehyung’s eyes. The boy was now lying on a gurney inside the surgery room, with a bullet in his lung.

Medicine had advanced, mainly during the first quarter of the 21st century, and many diseases that had previously haunted humanity were now cured on a daily basis. The surgery was easier and safer to perform, with high success rates. But primary care must be delivered in a timely manner to ensure that success. You had to get to the emergency room, at the right time.

And for Taehyung that line between ‘on time’ and ‘too late’ was unclear.

Taehyung was now fighting between life and death, and only that mattered.

Jeongguk opened his teary eyes when he heard footsteps, approaching in his direction.

Connor walked over and watched him, for a few moments, standing there with a coffee in hand. He then sat on the ground next to Jeongguk, understanding that the posture made the young man feel more comfortable. He handed him the cup.

He waited in silence, watching Jeongguk sip a couple of times, then asked:

“Do you want to hear it now?”

Jeongguk gulped and nodded.

“He used to work for CyberLife.”

Jeongguk widened his eyes, astonished at the information given

“Until a few years ago. This man was the one who developed advanced technology and programmed these unbreakable circles.” Connor pointed to the circle in his temple, now lit yellow with the information he was processing in his brain.

“Kim Taehyung’s name is well known in the cyber world. He’s the best engineer in the field, but he no longer works in the area. Well, we thought he didn’t. He hadn’t applied for any job since.”

“He said he studied at MIT.” Jeongguk remembered in a daze the things that Taehyung had told him.

“Yes. He did. He was brilliant, even while studying. He is still brilliant. The CyberLife board of directors had their eyes on him before graduation. He worked with a PhD on campus, who happened to be the best friends with one of CyberLife’s directors. So, when Taehyung returned to Chicago after studying, he already had a juicy contract in hand. After Kara’s scandal with the circles of light, CyberLife was desperately trying to develop new options, but none of them were good enough. So they asked Taehyung, when he was still in College, and he started working on it, right away. In just six months, he delivered the product the Company needed to brand.”

Connor stopped, looked at Jeongguk, gesturing to the coffee as if encouraging him to drink more. Jeongguk took a sip.

“Kim Taehyung worked in the Chicago offices for about three years and then voluntarily quit. It was an open secret to all the engineers working on robotic programming that Taehyung wanted to experiment and create a unique type of droid, one that would be given plenty of rope, much more freedom than ordinary droids, more will to decide. Kim Taehyung thought… he still thinks maybe, that that is the key for the androids not to diverge. But CyberLife never let him, they were afraid of what that option would bring. So everyone thought he quit because of that.”

This was too much new information for Jeongguk to assimilate, albeit the conversation absorbed him.

“But the Chicago Police Court CPU has data from a lawsuit filed against Kim Taehyung by CyberLife, just a month before his resignation, which was withdrawn two weeks after it was filed. Surely he reached a settlement with the Company, but there’s no accessible data on the subject. I need to ask CyberLife if they can provide it to us.”

Connor observed Jeongguk for a few moments, asking carefully next:

“Did he say something to you about that?” Jeongguk shook his head. “You said he spoke something hurtful about his past.”

“Yeah.” Jeongguk swallowed recalling Taehyung’s expression, when he told him about his life. “His mother died of cancer… and he has issues with his father. He no longer talks to him. The man had… dirty deals with Exelon executives, the energy provider.”

“That’s true. His mother died two years before he left his job.” Jeongguk’s heart constricted when he heard that. “About his father, he works for that Company yet, but I don’t manage information from that kind, undercover business. Although such information is unlikely to be openly available.”

Again, the android was silent for a few moments, before asking Jeongguk:

“Do you have any clue why he wanted to pose as an android?”

Jeongguk shook his head: “Honestly, I don’t know.”

“The information I accessed earlier on CyberLife CPU regarding your purchase must be false. Most likely, Taehyung hacked into the database to make it look like everything was in order. CyberLife must be unaware that they _ sold _you an android, and probably the money you paid went directly to Taehyung’s account.”

Jeongguk’s jaw dropped. He hadn’t thought about that until now.

“I will take a closer look at that CPU. I can also search the Bank data to find where Taehyung keeps his money.” Seeing the worried expression on Jeongguk’s face, Connor added: “Don’t worry. I’ll be discreet. I will not take any step further, without consulting you.”

“Thank you.” Jeongguk said, tightening his grip around his coffee, not knowing exactly how to feel about these new facts.

Many doubts were still wondering inside his brain.

Connor hummed.

“There’s another thing, um… Did you ever talk to Taehyung about Markus?” 

“Ah, I did, but very briefly, he doesn’t know any details. When I told him that a droid was stalking me, he asked me to show him a photo, which I did… Does Markus have something to do with him?” Jeongguk was about to explode with all the assumptions in his brain.

“I don’t know yet. I really need to do more research on that. I think Taehyung is not involved with the droid revolution, but… Jeongguk: Markus ran into you at random today at that Club. He wasn’t following you at all.”

“What??”

“He was following Taehyung.”

Jeongguk’s mind was blank.

“We raided the ship on Lake Saint Claire on Wednesday and we went to Chicago to find Markus. He made many moves, contacting targets in Michigan and Canada, after acknowledging the raid. He was very angry about it. We followed him all the time. Hank and I, and the Chicago and Detroit teams. He came to Detroit very late last night. Today, he was on his way to meet a source, an informant. He passed by the Club by chance and saw Taehyung walk in there. You should have seen his face: he was surprised to find him and dare I say, he was happy to see him. He must know him.”

Connor sighed. “He waited outside for two hours, we were incredibly curious about that. He really waited for him there. He must’ve been very keen to see him. After a while, one of the officers came telling me that your car was parked somewhere near the Club. He was sure, he checked the license plate. I panicked and tried to call you and text you, but you never answered. I sent an officer inside the Club to search for you, but he didn’t find you either, so I assumed you weren’t inside. But clearly, you were somewhere close. So I stayed alert.”

Jeongguk remembered where he was, during the time Connor was looking for him and what he was doing. He felt his body come to life again and his heart warmed.

“I left my phone at home.” 

“Mmm yes. That’s logical.”

“So, Markus wasn’t looking for me, why did he shoot, then?” 

“He wasn’t looking for you, but he never forgot you. So, when the opportunity came, I think he just took advantage of that. His jealousy took hold of him. He saw one of our officers and tried to flee, and realized that we were there following him. In all the confusion, he saw you. He just shot, presumably impulsively.”

“Fuck.” Jeongguk sighed, resting his head against the wall and closed his eyes again. “This is so confusing.”

“Yeah… You should go rest. I can stay here if you want.”

“No. I’m going to stay until the surgery is over. I won’t leave him.”

Jeongguk’s eyes filled with tears again, thinking of Taehyung in his delicate state.

“Well, I’ll gather all the information I can.”

Connor got up to leave and Jeongguk opened his eyes.

“Jeongguk… I still need to decipher the clues, but you know what? I think we’ve found our hacker.”

Connor saw Jeongguk smile at that statement.

Yes, Taehyung was that.

All pieces fit perfectly into the puzzle: smart, sharp, bold, self-controlled, schemer, deceptive, brilliant.

Jeongguk chuckled.

_ A tramp. _

A total fucking tramp.

Connor smiled and added: “The most over-the-top smart hacker of all time. I can’t imagine any other man who fits that description.”

He leaned closer to pat Jeongguk’s shoulder, gesturing to the empty sofa near them. “Hey, go rest there for a bit. I’ll let you know any news.”

And with that, Connor walked away, leaving Jeongguk with a lighter spirit, though still, with a very blue heart.

_ A tramp. _

Jeongguk repeated, once more in his head, and a childhood memory crushed his mind: this old song his father always sang to his mother. Playfully, flirtatiously.

It was a very old song, older than Jeongguk, older than his father.

His grandfather probably heard it for the first time, when he was a young man.

And Jeongguk remembered the knowing glances his mom and dad exchanged, every time they played that song at home.

And he realized that perhaps his parents shared a secret regarding that song. Something they knew and no one else.

The shared complicity of two lovers.

And the catchy tune kept playing in his head all night:

_ “Rebel rebel, you've torn your dress _

_ Rebel rebel, your face is a mess _

_ Rebel rebel, how could they know? _

_ Hot tramp, I love you so! _

_ Shit…” _

~~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Songs in this chapter:  
Want, TAEMIN  
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-OfOkiVFmhM
> 
> Rebel Rebel, David Bowie  
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U16Xg_rQZkA  
Published: 2020-02-13


	9. System Failure

Jeongguk entered his apartment, back from the hospital. He kicked off his shoes and walked over to the huge canvas on the crystal wall.

He remained in front of the painting. His fingers drawing the black swan, feeling the rough coarse contour of the perfect shape stuck to the thick fabric. He thought of how many days Taehyung should have come to his apartment, without him noticing shit, to complete that masterpiece.

Van Gogh’s technique requires patient and repetitive work: one sheet of paint must dry before applying another. The process must be repeated over and over again, layer after layer. Possibly Taehyung used something to dry the paint faster, but still, it takes several days to complete a job like that.

Jeongguk lay down on the floor, spreading his arms on either side of his body, his eyes closed. And, although he must have been dried with tears, he cried once more.

This time tears of gratitude ran down his cheeks, wetting the collar of his black shirt: Taehyung was fine.

“Thank you.”

He spoke out loud, not really knowing who he was thanking.

Mother Nature, Divine Providence, or the blessed hands of the doctor on duty that Friday night in the Emergency Room. 

Connor had returned to the hospital after a two hours absence and accompanied Jeongguk in the waiting room, until they received news of Taehyung’s health.

Jeongguk was very grateful for that too: having Connor by his side, during those terrible hours.

The surgery took so long. Eventually, two doctors ended Jeongguk’s agony: a man and a female android, who were still wearing their surgeon outfits.

“Hello, I’m Doctor House.” The man had said, extending his hand to greet both Jeongguk and Connor. “Head of Department of Diagnostic Medicine. We just finished Mr. Kim’s surgery.”

The android accompanying him, only bowed in greeting, keeping her hands inside the pockets of her green gown. Short blonde hair and beautiful eyes, she reminded Jeongguk Taehyung’s dark gaze.

Jeongguk breathed a sigh of relief, from the moment he saw the expression in the doctor’s eyes: the operation had clearly been a success.

“He is out of danger, but in a delicate state. We removed the bullet and Allison here did an exceptional job repairing the damaged tissue, which was more than desired.” The doctor turned to the android, who again bowed humbly. “He lost a lot of blood. He needed a transfusion.”

Taking off his cap the doctor gave additional information:

“We are administering a special healing medicine to ensure his progress, but this is a strong medicine, to produce a faster recovery and we need to keep him sedated for a day or two, depending on the improvements. So, if you must keep him under surveillance, I should inform the staff to make the necessary arrangements.”

“He’s not the suspect. He’s the victim.” Connor was quick to answer. “But we might need to keep an officer here.” He spoke, nodding to Jeongguk.

“Okay. I will give the instructions to my staff. It is very likely that we will supply the medication until Monday morning. If he evolves as expected, he can leave on Tuesday. But, we need to see the progress.”

“Is he under observation tonight?” Connor asked all the important questions.

“Yes. Tomorrow morning, they will move him to an isolated room and you will be able to see him. But most likely, he will be sleeping with all the sedatives.” 

They exchanged a few extra words and Jeongguk was very grateful the moment he shook hands again, with the doctor who had saved Taehyung’s life.

Connor had new information that he wanted to share, but insisted that Jeongguk needed to sleep. The latter only agreed to come home to shower and gather some clothes for Taehyung.

So, Connor proposed that they could take advantage of the night, and go to the Station to review the things he had found so far.

They left an officer on duty at the hospital, and Connor drove Jeongguk back to his car, which was still parked near the Club.

_ Human. _

Now, the sense of this new reality invaded Jeongguk’s mind.

It was almost midnight and he had undoubtedly been in shock, for the past five hours, fearing the worst, praying for mercy. Enduring a kind of fear he had never experienced before: the agonizing risk of losing the person he loved.

Now, calmer and with a clearer mind, he was pondering on this huge amount of new information that he received in the last hours and weighing the events of the previous months, from the first moment that Taehyung appeared at his door.

Every action, every move, every thought, every touch.

Every word Taehyung had said to him.

_ Human. _

And everything felt so good and real now.

And it all made sense.

_ But why? _

Why did Taehyung do it?

He tricked him, manipulated him, lied. Dragged him down the steep stony path of uncertainty.

_ Does he love me? _

He remembered the night they made love on the couch and the look in Taehyung’s wet eyes, as he told him that he was too much.

_ Of course he loves me. _

Jeongguk might have doubts about Taehyung the droid, because clearly the hollow shell where an android’s mind dwells misleads anyone who wants to infer feelings from it.

But Taehyung the human...

_ He can’t hide his feelings. _

Beaming with his lips and soul, Jeongguk evoked that same thought, which invaded his mind one day, when they were taking a shower together.

But then again and beyond all that, an undeniable truth knocked him out:

Taehyung saved his life.

Without hesitation, Taehyung welcomed the shocking impact of a gunshot to his own body, shielding Jeongguk with his own life.

Selflessly.

Jeongguk was deeply touched.

And his eyes filled with tears again.

But he needed to function now, so he pushed his brain to focus on something else. He distractedly slipped his hands into his pockets and felt the soft fur of a pink rabbit tail, brushing against fingertips. He took out the small object that had endured the night in there.

And his mind flew back to the times when he and Taehyung had sex and the perfect match they made, in that regard and in many other ways.

_ Damn. _

How could a man like Taehyung happen to this world?

So beautiful and smart. So fragile and strong. So good, so…

So tricksy, deceiving, misleading and so fucking jealous!

A trickster. A tramp.

Well, definitely a human being.

_ That tramp! _

Jeongguk was mad.

Mad and curious. And very happy.

Finally, he showered and ate a light sandwich so as not to faint, on his way to the Station.

He took some of his clothes for Taehyung and left, not forgetting his phone this time.

~~

Like every other Station in the country, the Detroit Police Department had a large and very useful lab, to help perform officer duties.

Inside the lab, there was a room connected to the main CPU and where all the open-data computers in the world could be accessed. Information available to the Police, but not to the general public.

The room had a holographic system that displayed graphic images of the information under analysis. This was primarily for humans, because androids like Connor, could directly connect to databases and review the information within their brains.

When Jeongguk and Connor entered the lab that night, no one was in that room and only two officers were inside a glass-walled side room, analyzing samples and tissues, evidence from a crime scene.

Connor had already reviewed much of the information and was presenting the facts to Jeongguk.

“Wow, that’s a lot of money.”

Jeongguk said when Connor showed him the money CyberLife had paid to Taehyung, eight years earlier, when he developed the circles or light.

“Yes.” Connor explained. “The contract with CyberLife established confidentiality clauses, due to the type of technology that Taehyung was developing. No one should be able to access the product and its programming. The circles had to be unbreakable, except for Taehyung and the Board of Directors. The Company must pay the price for that confidentiality.”

Connor swiped the hologram searching for another page:

“This is Kim Taehyung’s official bank account.” He explained when the data emerged. “He transferred money to his brother and sister and to another account abroad. It seems that he gave part of the money he earned to his siblings, when CyberLife paid him, but the rest he kept in a foreign account in a Bank, the information of which is not available to the Police or to anyone...” Connor said, swiping the hologram again, “…except for me.”

He smirked when the numbers appeared on the translucent screen.

“This bank account is in the name of Mr. Jack Vante. Of course, a fake name. Many accounts in that Bank, if not all, are under false identities but real people, who want to keep their names secret. I searched all the activity in that bank account and it has only received money from Taehyung. However, several transfers have been made to pay for many different products and supplies, all of them linked to androids. From that bank account, a large amount of money was once transferred to CyberLife, during the years Taehyung lived in Chicago.”

“How odd.” Jeongguk frowned.

“It is. I reviewed CyberLife’s data sales for those years, but no purchases were made on Jack Vante’s behalf. But look at this...”

Connor tapped the hologram again and a menacing image of a smiling Markus faded in.

“This is Mark. Not Markus, just Mark. This is an android that CyberLife manufactured and sold, when Taehyung was still working at their offices in Chicago. The payment details match Taehyung’s transfer from his Vante’s bank account. Look: it’s the exact time and codes.”

Connor pointed to the numbers: bank account code number, amount, date, time. All data that Connor had now decoded, matched.

But there was no information about the client. No name, no address, nothing. In fact, these international banks allowed people to go completely unnoticed.

Except to Connor, of course.

“The android, Mark, was sold to a client named “Barack Obama”.”

“Who the fuck is Barack Obama?” Jeongguk asked, dying of curiosity.

“I have no idea. Maybe a sci-fi character? I don’t know. Most likely it’s another fake identity that Taehyung used so as to make his purchase unnoticed.” Connor said.

“What the hell!?”

Jeongguk abruptly leaned back against the chair, not believing what he was seeing now.

Taehyung purchased an android from CyberLife with a false identity, while living in Chicago and still working for that Company. And that android was Markus.

Connor sighed, looking at Jeongguk with pity in his eyes.

“Don’t worry Connor, just give me the news. This couldn’t be weirder.”

“Well, it could be a coincidence, but what I found regarding the issue of Taehyung’s resignation and the lawsuit filed against him by CyberLife is undeniable evidence: CyberLife is the main supplier of androids for Exelon, the energy Company where Taehyung’s father works. Taehyung was sued for introducing an android into Exelon. CyberLife never knew that they sold that particular android to Exelon, because in fact they never did. Exelon just received that unit, the same way they received all the other androids.”

He paused to display the evidence on the screen, among which were two images of Markus, marking him as the droid in question.

“That android did dirty business, moving money from Exelon’s accounts, among other things, and directly involving Taehyung’s father. Taehyung’s father was unaware of all that. He pleaded not guilty, but he was going to be sued by Exelon. It seemed like Taehyung wanted to annoyed his father. It seemed like he did it on purpose.”

So far, it made a lot of sense, Jeongguk thought.

“But in the end, Taehyung confessed what he did, before his father could be sued or prosecuted. But CyberLife reacted and filed a lawsuit against Taehyung, because he had put the Company name in danger. But the lawsuit was withdrawn, because Taehyung’s father interfered, supported by Exelon’s own Board. They threatened to reveal the facts and although this was all Taehyung’s doing, with Exelon as an opponent, the case would have been a huge scandal for CyberLife, and they would have been greatly affected.”

So Taehyung pissed off his father again. This time hugely, but then he repented and accused himself, before doing more damage. And most likely, his father, who seemed to be regretful after Taehyung’s mother’s death, came to save him, supported by his pals in Exelon, and menacing to expose CyberLife's greatest weakness: Kim Taehyung’s cleverness.

“And… this was like two years after Taehyung’s mother died, you said, right?”

Jeongguk wanted to confirm.

“Yes.”

Of course Taehyung was hurt. He was so angry at his father, after his mother died, and at all the things his father did. It was logical that he wanted revenge.

But it seemed like Taehyung’s father was truly regretful for his actions in the past, because he saved Taehyung from that lawsuit and most likely from jail.

“Markus, previously named Mark, was the android Taehyung used for that job. We can ask Markus if he wants to give more information, but in the end, only Taehyung knows his motives.” Connor said.

Jeongguk sighed. He knew the motives quite well and that was a very painful past.

“I’m still working on your case, trying to find information to clarify why Taehyung wanted to pass as an android to you. So far, I have decoded the money transfer you supposedly made to CyberLife’s bank account.”

Connor swiped the screen, searching for another holographic image.

“Is this the amount of money you paid to CyberLife?” 

Jeongguk nodded.

The juicy amount of money Jeongguk paid was shown on that screen, still in the bank account of Taehyung, aka Jack Vante.

All the money was there.

Every penny.

Untouched.

Many uncertainties still haunted Jeongguk’s mind, but there was no point in dwelling on them.

Taehyung was the only one who had all the answers and Jeongguk was eager to ask him.

However, he was more eager to kiss him and eat him out.

One way or another, he needed to wait.

But one thing was still itching in the back of his mind, like an annoying bug:

Connor had searched every computer for information, including Exelon’s, that foreing bank and probably data hidden on CyberLife’s CPU. All of which were private property.

Not accessible to the Police without the owner’s permission.

Jeongguk looked at Connor who was looking back at him, with a smile, no doubt deducing what was inside Jeongguk’s mind.

_ Do I have to lift red flags now? _

He asked himself.

~~

That was a long and exhausting weekend for Jeongguk, waiting in the hospital as the hours passed. However, those two days helped him clear his mind and calm his restless heart, reflecting on this new reality to which he had awakened, a pleasant Friday evening with pink and wet clouds in the sky.

He had returned to the hospital that night, after talking to Connor. The android kept working because he still needed to interrogate Markus and hunt down the deviants who remained on the front lines of the droid revolution, although that revolution had been badly beaten with Markus’ arrest.

Connor promised he would be vigilant and stop by the hospital from time to time, which he did on Saturday noon, after Taehyung was transferred to a private room. He forced Jeongguk to go to his apartment and sleep for a few hours. He offered to stay put, albeit it was unlikely that Taehyung would open his eyes, with all the sedatives running through his arteries.

So, this time Jeongguk agreed, and went home to sleep, once again recalling the events of that morning, when a nurse came to report that Taehyung was in a private room.

His heart was beating so fast when he entered that room and saw Taehyung sleeping peacefully. Half of his face was covered by the oxygen mask. The beautiful skin of his arms was exposed, and a catheter buried inside.

He looked good. He looked pretty.

He was pale, but well.

Jeongguk leaned closer and his fingertips trembled, as he touched the skin on the inside of his arm. White as a dove. Soft as the pink furry bunny tail he now had in his apartment.

He held one of his hands, lacing their fingers and kissed each white knuckle.

He sat next to him for almost two hours, listening to the sound of his breathing and the beeping of his pulse, through the electronic monitor.

A human heart.

He went to his apartment when Connor arrived and returned to the hospital at dusk.

He stayed all night, sitting on the couch next to Taehyung’s bed, sometimes wandering around the cafeteria to pick up some drink or food.

He called some friends during the evening to chitchat for a while, not talking about his situation, just to hear familiar voices, which he so badly needed at the time.

He called home and spoke to his mom and dad. He told them that he had a new love, who they would certainly meet soon, because Jeongguk knew in his heart that they would.

His mother told him that she dreamed of him two days before. She said that he was happy in her dream, playing in the snow with a handsome young man, but that her dream had been strange, because that man had a small robot in his hand, which he then buried in a hole in the snow, filled with greasy blue liquid, displaying a boxy smile on his face.

_ Mothers… _

And his father muted, when Jeongguk asked him mischievously: _ “Dad, do you remember that song you used to sing to mom… that about a tramp? _”

He thought the line had gone dead, due to the silence at the other end. He decided to end his father’s misery by saying: _ “Nevermind” _.”

He chose not to facetime, because he most likely looked like shit at the time, and he didn’t want anyone to ask him difficult questions.

But, he did want to tell the full story to one friend, and was willing to listen to the questions he could ask: Namjoon his hyung.

Jeongguk called him to recount the events that happened, starting from the moment after the last time they texted on the phone: February 14 at night.

“Are you fucking crazy?”

Namjoon yelled, when Jeongguk told him that he agreed to go on a date with Taehyung and have sex in a public place.

Jeongguk laughed his ass off.

“You’re a police officer! What if someone recognizes you?”

Namjoon’s sense of responsibility always came first.

Jeongguk never thought about that, but now that Namjoon was pointing out the issue, he decided he wouldn’t mind.

“I wouldn’t give a shit!” He laughed.

Then he proceeded to recount the events of Markus and the terrible things that happened outside the Club. His heart clenched again, when he remembered what he experienced during those hours. 

Namjoon fell silent on the other end, interrupting only to sigh deeply or blurt out: “Oh man.” and “God.”, every now and then.

Jeongguk also told him everything Connor had discovered. As he narrated the events and how by the end of the day, Taehyung had cheated and misled everyone, including Jeongguk, Namjoon interrupted him again, uttering many _ fucks _ , _ shits _ , and _ clever tramp. _His tone was both cross and cheerful.

“You know what?” Namjoon asked at some point, “Ya’ know… regardless of all that shit you told me and… dammit! I mean, Jeongguk: what a smart-butt have you been with these months… Okay, Nevermind! Regardless all that shit, all the bad stuff, you know what? I see that big smile of yours, even from where I am now: sitting outside my bar in Ludington.”

“What do you mean?”

Jeongguk asked, already understanding the meaning of those words, but eager to hear a clarification, a reassurance for his own inner state.

“I do man. I see you smiling. Your soul smiles widely at the fact that Taehyung is just a human being… You’re so whipped!”

Jeongguk could almost see Namjoon nodding and smiling, on the other end of the line.

“Ahh… you have no idea how much I hate him.” Jeongguk said half laughing.

“Yes. You hate him so much, that you’re dying to handcuff him to your bed and punish him. You would punish him for the rest of his life.”

Namjoon was happy to hear Taehyung was fine.

“He saved my life, hyung.”

Jeongguk told him at some point, his voice broken and eyes filled with tears.

“Kookie, I’m really sorry. I’m so sorry you have to go through this alone. Do you want me to go there and keep you company?” 

“It’s okay hyung. I’ll be fine. I just wanted to call you and hear a familiar voice.”

Namjoon didn’t insist. He thought that maybe Jeongguk wanted to be alone with Taehyung, when the latter woke up.

After an hour and a half of conversation, Jeongguk ended the call, feeling sheltered and understood.

Taehyung slept all Saturday and Sunday. The doctor came to check on him, several times, giving better news each time, because the patient was recovering fast and well.

On Sunday, Connor came back to do the shift.

Jeongguk went to sleep for a few hours and returned to the hospital in the evening, refreshed and happy. The next morning was Monday and Taehyung would open his eyes.

Before leaving, Connor spoke briefly updating Jeongguk on his latest findings:

“I searched in the databases of other robotics companies. I found three anomalous cases from three different companies: Boston Dynamics, Left Hand Robotics and Rethink Robotics. In each of them, I found a complaint from a client, claiming that they bought an android and that android diverged in less than a week and left. The clients requested the money back. That is very common: androids diverge and corporations reimbursed their client’s money through insurance companies. But guess what: the three companies claimed that they never sold an android to those customers, and there is no information about their purchases in the companies’ databases.”

Jeongguk only smiled upon hearing that. Before the idea cross his mind, Connor was quick to explain:

“The androids those clients bought were for domestic use.”

Jeongguk smiled more widely. His admiration for Taehyung increased each time, with each new discovery, each new tricky thing that he recognized about Taehyung.

And it was okay if Taehyung had pretended to be a domestic android to those people.

But even if it had been the case that he pretended to be a lover or sexual partner, as he had done with Jeongguk, Jeongguk would not have minded.

He loved that man, just as he was.

Rather, he loved him _ for _ the way he was.

Jeongguk was so whipped, as Namjoon told him, so much that every time he heard Taehyung’s name, his heart skipped a beat and his cock reacted accordingly.

“I have yet to decode where those clients’ money went. But it must be Taehyung. All three clients live here in Detroit, and it all happened in the last two years. The _ modus operandi _ is the same in all cases. He’s so smart.”

Connor was also showing his admiration now:

“He did it only once in each company, so they thought it was an irregularity, a simple failure of their systems. Also, none of those clients have images of the supposed android. Taehyung must have erased all the data before leaving them.”

Jeongguk was now thinking about the fact that Taehyung never left him, of his own will. He never diverged_ , _while pretending to be an android.

Now he was laughing out loud at himself. How stupid he felt, when all he wanted back then was for Taehyung to diverge.

_ This must be karma...sweet beautiful tricky karma. _

“I also asked Markus about Taehyung, while questioning him and he said he wouldn’t say a word. He just told me that he knew Taehyung from before. That Kim Taehyung was his mentor, and Markus hadn’t seen him in years. No more than that.”

“Mmm, I guess Taehyung is the only one who can clear all this up.”

“Yes. I won’t give up, but I don’t think I’ll find any more information on that. And I can’t scan Markus or access his brain. His system was hacked, probably a long time ago. Most likely Taehyung did it. I can presume that Taehyung didn’t buy Markus to trick his father, at least not in the first place. Markus said that Taehyung was his mentor. I think he hacked Markus’ brain and woke him up. He always wanted to make a unique kind of droid, maybe he bought it for that purpose in the first place, but then he used it against his father, before setting him free.”

Jeongguk nodded. That made sense.

“In your case, I think you should ask him directly. I daresay he did it for the money, but all that money is still intact in his bank account, so honestly I don’t know.”

Connor pressed his lips in a line. It seemed like this time, he didn’t have a clue.

“But one thing is certain: he hacked into the CyberLife computer and intercepted your request and all the interactions you had after that, were done directly with him and CyberLife never found out about the purchase. He must have studied you thoroughly, before making a move.”

_ Damn. _

Jeongguk sighed and reflected:

“Maybe he just wanted the money, but I paid in advance, so… why did he show up at my door pretending to be an android, if he already had the money in his hands?”

Connor hummed, looking at Jeongguk with a smile, the revelation drawn in his eyes.

In an evil voice that Jeongguk had never heard before, the android said next:

“Perhaps he just liked you.”

They laughed at that witty comment.

Before Connor left, Jeongguk dared to ask him something. He was somewhat concerned about the android’s reaction, as he thought about asking the questions in his head or not. But he eventually decided that Connor had largely shown his affection towards him and Jeongguk felt that he could trust him, whether the android was diverging or not.

Jeongguk asked him:

“So, how is it gonna be after this? When Taehyung leaves the hospital are you like… going to arrest him?”

“Hmm. I really don’t _ have _ to do anything. This whole situation doesn’t need to be disclosed or even reported.”

“Really? But you always act according to the law, don’t you?”

Jeongguk insisted, expecting to drag out something else from the other, already knowing that he would get nothing, because the look inside the android’s eyes revealed his infinite cleverness:

“Kim Taehyung screwed you up. He didn’t steal from CyberLife because your request never got into their hands. He stole from you, so it’s actually up to you, if you want to sue him. But, I have the feeling that you won’t?” Connor smiled.

Jeongguk retorted: “Woah, woah, woah! So… what’s this?”

Now he dared to ask the question directly with an innocent grin:

“Are you kind of diverging or something?”

But the android’s intelligence was infinite, indeed:

“I hunt droids, not humans Jeongguk. So, technically it’s not my territory... it’s yours.”

_ Touché. _

With a bigger smile the android started walking. Stopping a couple of steps forward, he turned and spoke fondly and honestly:

“Strange creatures are human beings. They are so eager to kill each other for the stupidest little things. So erratic. Yet, they don’t hesitate for a second to give their lives for those they love. What do you think, Jeongguk? Do you believe we, androids, are also evolving towards that?”

Jeongguk just smiled as he saw Connor turn back on his heels and head for the elevator.

In fact, he didn’t have the answer to that question.

Jeongguk fell asleep that night again on the couch next to Taehyung’s bed, and after watching him for a long time. He liked to watch him now, his mind assimilating that body and that skin and those features were human.

Now, he was anticipating Monday, because the doctor said he would cut the medicine that morning and Taehyung would wake up shortly after that.

And he really wanted to be there at that moment.

While he was sleeping like a baby, Allison, the android who helped with Taehyung’s surgery, came in during the night, and cut off the supply of medicine, following the Doctor’s instructions.

She covered Jeongguk with a blanket and left.

Jeongguk woke up the next day after sunrise.

He stared at Taehyung, then decided to have breakfast in a coffee shop near the hospital, because the cafeteria food he had eaten for the past two days, was tasteless and was driving him crazy.

He was hoping to come and go soon, knowing that the doctor made his rounds between eight thirty and nine, so he had plenty of time.

He left the room, not realizing that Taehyung was opening his eyes right then.

Jeongguk stayed in the coffee shop longer than expected, but it was still very early.

He needed that time with himself. He wanted to be super calm, for the long awaited time, and not jump into Taehyung’s arms, crying and making him feel uncomfortable.

Jeongguk was pretty sure now that Taehyung had deep feelings for him, but he didn’t know exactly what Taehyung wanted, what he was going to tell him that Friday night, besides the fact that he was human.

When he felt ready, he walked back to the hospital, expecting to stop by his car, which was parked on the street outside the main building, and pick up the clothes he had brought the night before to change.

He was a few steps from the car, when he saw something that made him stop in his tracks.

~~

Too much light was coming from somewhere, too bright, too white and even if Taehyung had his eyes closed, he could perceive the warm light, outside his body.

_ I am in Heaven? _

He was pretty sure he hadn’t been killed by that shot. He remembered everything: the cold surface of the pavement, the officers around him, the squad car, ER... until the moment a beautiful android bent over him, injecting something into his body and the voice of a doctor was instructing to perform surgery, as his eyes felt heavy and his mind faded to black.

And after that, blurry images of white and green gowns had appeared in his range of vision, from time to time, presumably during moments of lucidity, while he recovered.

Because he felt like he was recovering.

He felt no pain, probably due to a large amount of sedatives, but his body was weightless as if floating in the clouds.

And he felt weak, very weak. 

He mentally followed the bandaged curves of his back, intending to pin down the exact spot where the bullet entered. He found it. Still, it didn’t hurt at all.

He slowly opened his eyes, when he heard the thin sound of the room’s automatic door closing.

Back to the world again.

The first thing he recalled was Jeongguk’s terrified face. His hands, stained with blood, shaking him, as he lay on the street outside the Club.

And Taehyung tried to tell him something.

He wanted to speak, but his lungs couldn’t find enough air to utter a word and he felt himself faint, his warm blood leaving his body quickly.

He wanted to say ‘_ I’m sorry’ _.

And many other things.

He sat up carefully, and was forced to lie back on the bed again, because the room twirled three hundred and sixty degrees around him.

He controlled the urge to throw his guts out his body, and remained resting in that position for a while.

He sat again, and this time the sensation was a little less unpleasant.

Closing his eyes, the same fear he felt the last time he was conscious struck his heart again:

Jeongguk could have died and it would have been his fault.

_ How was I so stupid? _

He remembered all the things he changed in that android’s brain: the programming, the codes, the daily settings.

How it all turned into this?

Markus was a clever deviant android, with groundbreaking changes that Taehyung put inside his brain, before releasing him. Furthermore, the android was friendly, helpful and always ready to please.

The last time Taehyung heard news about him, Markus was living happily in Detroit, with an old man who had lost his only son. And Markus wanted to live like that, to belong to someone. To experience the simplicity of a life with a small family. And he appreciated that man as a human being would appreciate his own father.

Taehyung had asked Markus about the skills he wanted to be gifted with, and the latter had chosen to be similar to his mentor, because he admired him too much.

So, a very proud and happy Taehyung filled that brain with loads of skills, many of them related to artistic tendencies, so that Markus could evolve himself, by following those paths.

Taehyung contacted Markus the very week he moved to Detroit, four years earlier, but they only met that once.

On that occasion, Markus told him that he was happy to live an ordinary life, and that he had chosen that of his own free will. And Taehyung was happy to have given him that possibility, the moment he changed his brain.

Then that day came, the day Jeongguk told him that a jealous android was stalking him.

And Taehyung dreaded. He had this hunch, clearly in his heart and brain. He was sure it was Markus.

And he confirmed it, when Jeongguk showed him that photo on his phone.

Taehyung found Markus on his own, although the police were already following him.

However, he sent all the data he could, to aid in his hunt.

Something happened to Markus that drove him crazy. Probably love drove him crazy.

What Markus thought was love.

How did it all go wrong?

And now, all those ethics classes he reluctantly took when he was studying on campus made perfect sense: humans can change and use the environment. But we have to be careful. Humans must be humble, because we cannot manage each and every detail. We cannot control all situations. And there is always the chance that things will go wrong.

As he tried to regain the movement of his legs in their fragile state and tried to deal with his dizzy head, Taehyung found himself trying to understand how he got to that very moment.

But only Jeongguk came to mind and he remembered that first time he saw him outside the Police Department.

Taehyung was sitting on a cold bench, drinking hot coffee as he studied his movements. His heart raced, even from that distance. 

Well, the guy was hot.

Like hot-hot.

But there was something else.

Fate, perhaps?

The possibility of pretending to be an android for sexual purposes had never crossed his mind before.

But everything changed with Jeongguk.

When his algorithm first snagged Jeongguk’s request, detouring it from CyberLife’s computer, Taehyung only read the customer’s name and the description of the android he wanted.

_ Jeon Jeongguk must be a sick, ugly, rich, old man, who buys an android for fun. _

He thought.

He didn’t release the request right away. He was curious.

So he searched ‘_ Jeon Jeongguk’ _ on the system and…

“HOLY SHIT!”

That face… those lips… the curve of his jaw… the way the official police uniform fitted that body so fucking well, in that prom photo...

Those silver earrings dangling along that soft silky white neck, near those pretty pink lips, in that photo with his friends in a bar…

That bunny smile that made him look so innocent.

Those eyes…

“Who is this man?”

He was so curious.

He responded with a polite standard message, asking further details about the android in question, and decided to find out more about this Jeon Jeongguk, even though he already wanted to have him bent over his desk.

So he studied him and soon found himself even more curious than before.

That handsome, intelligent young man, who seemed to have everything in life: nice family, good friends, great money, the best job, terrific looks and so on…

Why did he want an android as a partner?

He surely needed the money, so he decided to do it, hoping Jeon Jeongguk was as horny as he was, because the man was a knockout.

But mostly because that guy, who seemed so perfect in every way, was a puzzle that Taehyung couldn’t figure out.

He was drawn to him, dragged like wreckage during a hurricane.

And they fit so well.

He soon learned of Jeongguk’s tenderness, his earnest heart, his genuine kindness and his incredible skills.

And his passion… and the way he kissed him… and the softness of his fingertips and the pretty noises he made while making love.

He soon found himself trapped.

And the unbearable longing to tell the truth and risk losing him in the process crushed him.

But fate prevailed and now Jeongguk knew it.

“Will he forgive me?”

One thing was clear: the police would not forgive him for everything he had done.

He needed to leave. The sooner the better.

Lightheaded and after deliberating for over an hour on these things, Taehyung removed the catheter from his arm, and checked the time and date on the clock on the nightstand.

He had been sleeping for more than two days.

Wow! A long time.

He got up and went to the closet, where he found Jeongguk’s clothes and shoes.

He felt guilty that the boy brought his own clothes for him, and now he would use them to run away.

But he was not running away from Jeongguk, of course not. He was going to dodge the authorities and would probably stop by Jeongguk’s apartment later, when the coast was clear.

As he dressed, a sharp pain pierced his back. The effect of the painkillers was wearing off.

He emptied a big bottle of water that someone left on the nightstand and put on his leather jacket, which was now all clean and soft. 

He left the room, walking slowly, supporting against the walls from time to time, when he felt his strength leaving his body.

_ You can do it Kim, step by step. _

He repeated in his mind to empower his feeble legs.

He sighed deeply, as he crossed the hospital entrance, and thanked that he did not bump into any officer or doctor on his way out.

The air outside was very cold, but really refreshing.

He felt awake and relaxed walking down the street and he was about to shout victory, when suddenly he saw Jeongguk’s car parked there.

_ Shit. _

There was no one inside, but there were probably officers around, so he kept walking.

As he passed the car, the automatic locks clicked. Someone had opened them from a distance.

He stopped short, when he confirmed that the owner of the vehicle was nearby, because he heard his voice a few steps behind:

“Where do you think you are going?”

Taehyung closed his eyes and breathed out.

Slowly, he turned.

Jeongguk looked equally pale, tired and awful as Taehyung.

His heart clenched, as he imagined all the pain and suffering that Jeongguk must have endured in the past few days.

They stared at each other and Taehyung noticed the little dark bags under Jeongguk’s eyes and traces of red within them.

He looked exhausted. 

Jeongguk was dying to jump into Taehyung’s arms and finally hug his human lover, but the fact that Taehyung was on the run was disturbing his mind. He hesitated. He repeated:

“Where are you going?”

As if guessing what was in Jeongguk’s mind, Taehyung said:

“I’m not running away from you.”

“Really?” Jeongguk frowned. “Then from who?”

“Surely you know by now … I can’t stay here. Not with the police around.”

Jeongguk tilted his head to the side:

“Taehyung: I am the police.”

Taehyung pressed his lips in a line and answered, somewhat hesitantly, stuttering a bit:

“I… I m-mean… the other police.”

Jeongguk almost released a chuckle upon hearing that innocent statement. He was making a big effort to keep his poker face.

He observed Taehyung’s expression: he was weak and looked so tired. Jeongguk wanted to reach and hug him.

Instead he asked the only question that had been on his mind, for the past three days:

“Why did you do it?”

He asked honestly. No judgement in his words.

“Money.”

Taehyung gestured with his arms on either side of his body, as if the answer given was the most obvious one.

“I just needed the money.” 

“And what did you do with the money? You still have all that money in your bank account. Is that the real reason?”

“It was, at the beginning... I changed my mind.”

Chills ran down Jeongguk’s spine, when Taehyung bit his lower lip, while answering that.

“Why did you change your mind?”

“Because of you.”

Taehyung said directly and Jeongguk’s heart beat harder, until he heard him add:

“I saw your thighs and got hooked.”

Taehyung relaxed and tried to hide his happiness, holding a laugh behind his teeth.

He was happy.

And Jeongguk was also happy. Very much. But he still wanted to get something more from the other. He wanted to scold the little kid who had misbehaved. And he was also irritated, because Taehyung had planned to run away, without saying anything to him.

Jeongguk frowned and in a harsh accusing voice spoke, pointing his finger in Taehyung’s direction:

“You tricked me. You lied to me.”

Taehyung carefully observed Jeongguk. He knew very well how to read him.

The man in front was sincere and kind.

A truthful soul.

Jeongguk couldn’t hide his feelings and his thoughts were like an open book that could be read through his eyes. And Taehyung was distracted now, thinking about how beautiful Jeongguk is and reflecting that this is why he fell in love with him. 

He took a few steps forward, gesturing with his hands, as he spoke:

“Yeah, you’re right. I’m a tramp. What I did to you, you shouldn’t forgive me. I’m a fuckin' bastard. I have no excuse...”

Frowning and narrowing his eyes. he inquired confidently:

“What’s yours Jeongguk?”

“What do you mean?” Jeongguk asked, taken aback by the question.

“Your excuse to never tell me that you loved me.”

Jeongguk’s heart pressed against his chest.

That was such a fair question.

But Jeongguk was still mad and did not feel like pleasing him yet. He shook his head, dismissing the question, and repeated, yelling this time:

“You tricked me! All this time! How could you? Making a fool of me? YOU LIED... ”

Taehyung spoke with a strong tone, as he got even closer:

“I did. But I know what bothers you the most: you were terrified as fuck, just thinking about the tiniest possibility that I would die in that fucking hospital bed, weren’t you?”

It crushed Jeongguk’s heart, mixing feelings of pain, fear and gratitude.

However, he was still so fucking angry and he really needed to scold the other, smack the boy’s butt. He shook his head again and gestured with his hands as he yelled:

“GODDAMNIT! Do you know what you did to me? You know what you put me through? HUH? Thinking I was going INSANE? Falling for a FUCKING MACHINE!?”

Taehyung smiled, fully understanding the underlying meaning of that statement.

He licked his lips and hit back:

“Ya know, falling for me could be rather worse.”

Jeongguk made a tiny undercover smile.

He wanted to laugh and salute Taehyung’s wit, but he held back those impulses and shifted his gaze to focus somewhere, far down the street.

He remembered that his car was there, parked next to them, and without thinking twice, he opened the passenger door:

“Get in the car.”

Jeongguk ordered.

At that point he was almost giving up, just at the sight in front of him:

Taehyung: healthy, smiling and well.

_ Alive. _

He didn’t expect to drive Taehyung anywhere. He just wanted him to sit down and rest for a while. Then he would force him back to the hospital.

Taehyung slowly walked over and grabbed the door from the top. He asked:

“May I make a suggestion?”

_ Those fucking suggestions. _

Jeongguk spoke highlighting every word:

“Why don’t you shove your fucking suggestions right up your ass!?”

Taehyung laughed.

“Get into the fucking car!” Jeongguk yelled.

The other chuckled, invading his personal space and said:

“You look hot, when you’re mad as fuck. Did I mention that?”

Jeongguk regarded him, hiding a smile on his mouth with a lick on his lips.

Taehyung felt his heart melt with this proximity. He couldn’t take it anymore. He wrapped Jeongguk around his waist and thumbed his lips.

Jeongguk exhaled, softening his expression and finally, showing a wide smile when the boy asked:

“Would you fuck a human being?”

Jeongguk’s heart released in a second all the agony that it had contained during the last days, the fear and the uncertainties.

He set the pain free and let in the happiness.

He looked into the eyes of the man he loved so much and, even if his own eyes were now filled with tears, he still scolded him, with a whipped low voice:

“You ought me big, you know that? When I’m done with you, you won’t be able to sit for a month.”

Taehyung smiled and tightened his arms around him, speaking close to his lips:

“Mmm… that sounds good to me.”

He held him tight against his body, needles piercing his back, there where the bullet had entered.

Jeongguk hugged him, softly running his fingers down his back and between his hair.

He surrendered, feeling the warm body in his arms, red blood running inside those veins.

He could no longer hold back his tears. He hid his face within the curve of Taehyung’s neck, sniffing and moistening his skin, gasping for air between quivers. He whispered in his ear:

“I was so scared. I was so scared of losing you.”

Taehyung gulped:

“Me too baby, me too.”

Gently stroking Jeongguk’s hair and kissing his temple, he didn’t want to let go now. He wanted to keep him caged in his arms forever and free him from all the pain.

He tilted the boy’s face by the chin, to look him in the eyes. His own eyes were watery and red. He patted Jeongguk’s hair back on either side of his temples and cupped his face with both hands.

Locking their eyes and souls together, Taehyung simply whispered:

“I love you.”

He closed the distance between them and joined their lips, as one thought quickly fixed in Jeongguk’s brain:

_Today is Monday, February 21, 2039._

THE END

~~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so grateful for all the love I received from you while writing this story :)  
You've been terrific great readers and an author is nothing without their readers.  
Thank you <3  
Published: 2020-02-19


	10. Rebooting: The Epilogue

“Hi Tae. It’s good to know you’re alive.”

Jeongguk winced as he heard the somewhat electronic but very human voice, echoing in the darkness of Taehyung’s apartment. He tried in vain to locate the source.

Only a flashing red light was visible from under the doorframe, where he and Taehyung were standing. The rest was a black space of unknown and suspicious composition.

And whoever was speaking, clearly not a human being, was bold and ruled enough not to turn on the lights yet.

“Yes, Thank you. You know me. Turn the lights on, please, it’s safe.”

Taehyung winked at a very surprised Jeongguk and took a step to his right to let him pass, as the apartment was lighting up and revealing a very standard place for a hacker’s lair.

“I see we have company.”

The electronic male voice highlighted with an overly sexy tone.

Taehyung laughed, and invited Jeongguk to take off his shoes and coat with a proper gesture.

“Come.” Taehyung said next, leading Jeongguk to the living room, from where he could then see that this was not such a standard place, because a huge interior room, at the left, filled with God knows what, was displayed in front of his surprised bunny eyes.

A huge screen covered an entire wall, divided into several sub-screens: some with numbers, some with geographic information data, others with images, some with _ prototypes _?

Something that appeared to be a control panel with keyboards, buttons, cables was in the middle and additional monitors at its right and left.

“Will you introduce me to Jeon Jeongguk?”

The enthusiastic tone of voice made Jeongguk smirk, as he rotated 360 degrees on his heels, still not understanding where the voice was coming from, and nervously bit the inside of his cheek, when he heard his name.

“Yes, yes. This is Jeon Jeongguk.”

Taehyung spoke to the air, heading to the inner room, adding next:

“V: switch on.”

A ball shaped hologram lit up the room, filled with different shades of purple, floating above the panel, right in front of Jeongguk’s eyes.

“Jeongguk: this is V.”

“Nice to finally meet you, Jeongguk.”

The voice said, still coming from nowhere and everywhere, and Jeongguk stuttered and scratched the back of his neck insecurely, not knowing in which direction to answer, choosing to address the holographic ball:

“Ahh… y-yes. Nice to meet you too, mmm… V?”

“Yes, V. The brain of this place.” Joked the voice seriously.

Taehyung signaled Jeongguk to come and sit down:

“Yeah right, you’d wish.” He cleared his throat and declared: “Shrinking humor level setting to…”

“Oh no, no, please! I’d turn into an ass boring dude, duller than Lt.Hank.” V pleaded, making the purple lights brighter.

“Do you know Lieutenant Hank?”

Jeongguk asked, widening his eyes, already getting an answer in his brain: of course the computer did.

“I know every legal citizen in this State. And some illicit ones too.”

The brain chuckled and then added in a thoughtful tone:

“I need to confirm Tae, although I’m pretty sure you’re fine, considering your vital signs: I received alarming information about your health conditions ten days ago. Your name and data were registered as a patient admitted to Harper University Hospital, shot and wounded. The Hospital database indicates that you were discharged on Tuesday, after surgery was performed on Friday night, with favorable results.”

Jeongguk pouted, recalling the facts that V was now stating, exchanging kindhearted glances with Taehyung.

“That’s correct. I’m okay now. I’m sorry I didn’t contact you. I stayed at Jeongguk’s apartment, while I recovered.” 

“I insisted.” Jeongguk added, aiming to justify Taehyung’s absence.

“Good to know that you’re fine. I tried to reach you by phone, but it was dead. I presume, then, that Jeon Jeongguk is aware of your human nature?”

V asked teasingly and Jeongguk smiled tenderly, scanning the monitors in the room, which changed from time to time, a couple of them continually running numbers on the screen.

“Totally. Taehyung answered, grabbing Jeongguk in a hot kiss.

“So V, what’s new here?”

There was a long silence, which Taehyung took advantage of to continue kissing Jeongguk.

Since the machine still did not respond, he insisted:

“V?”

“Can I speak freely in the presence of the police?”

V said and Taehyung laughed, looking at Jeongguk, who was already squinting in his direction and frowning disapprovingly.

“Yeah, it’s fine.”

V then reported:

“I kept sending information to the Police about the deviants. They still intend to track us, but I distracted them and stopped all activity, when I thought they were close to finding us. Nevertheless, we need to change the protocols again, soon. You know they can catch us if we don’t do it permanently. I was hoping you would come home for that, albeit I already have some _ suggestions. _”

Jeongguk waggled his eyebrows at that word, as Taehyung headed to the kitchen with a grin.

Dropping into a comfortable leather office chair, Jeongguk observed the incredible array of technology displayed in front of his eyes, purple lights reflecting off his pupils.

V kept talking:

“Unfortunately, I detected many security breaches, while running the 24/7 monitoring systems: CyberLife, Boston Dynamics, Left Hand Robotics, Rethink Robotics and the most concerning: the database of the Union of Swiss Banks. All systems were broken by the same hacker. It wasn’t the police. This was an advanced hacker. I am afraid, this was most likely Connor.”

“Yes, that is correct.”

Taehyung shouted from the kitchen.

“Hmm…so you were aware of that. May I assume this is related to the fact that Jeongguk knows who you are now?”

Jeongguk pressed his lips in a line, raising an eyebrow, when Taehyung entered the room again with soda, glasses and banana chips.

“That’s correct too.” Taehyung answered.

“Then you should know by now that Markus was captured. He’s locked up in Detroit Police Station. He’s been repaired for the damage that occurred when the arrest took place. The Police CPU indicates that they will keep him there, indefinitely. It seems they haven’t decided what to do with him yet.”

Jeongguk’s eyebrow almost reached the top of his forehead in disapproval, listening to information that was supposedly secret to everyone, except the Police. He tongued the inside of his cheek and tilted his head, facing a boxy-smiling Taehyung, standing in front of him, who was still holding the liquid, food and glasses in his hands.

“Finally, I have intercepted more than twenty requests for droid acquisitions, from clients of different robotics companies, all of them living in Detroit.”

Jeongguk pressed his back against the chair, swinging around its base, his arms crossed over his chest in a _ demanding-an-answer _ attitude. He narrowed his eyes in Taehyung’s direction, as V asked:

“What do you want me to do with it?”

“Release them.”

Taehyung instructed. He moved, slid his legs over Jeongguk’s thighs and sat on his lap. Leaning forward, he gave him a dimpled boxy kiss. Then he spoke on the lips of a bright-eyes pleased Jeongguk:

“I already found my owner.”

This time it was Jeongguk who took him, eagerly tucking both hands under Taehyung’s clothes as he kissed him, gently rubbing against the uneven softness of his skin, right there, where the bullet and the surgeon had found their way inside.

He really liked touching that spot, caressing that beautiful imperfect patch of skin. He imagined like he was feeling Taehyung’s bravery on his fingertips. He felt like he could sweep up and heal all the pain, just with the brush of his thumbs and fingers.

And Taehyung hadn’t wanted to treat what would soon become a courageous scar: “I’m not going to erase the evidence from one of the most important days of my life.” He had declared with a smile, when Jeongguk asked about that possibility.

Jeongguk was rapt with emotions. Blessed and lucky to have this man in his life and savor him on the tip of his tongue. Now, his cock was getting harder than the bottle that Taehyung was inadvertently burying against his right biceps, in an attempt to grasp both the bottle and his arm at the same time.

“I also collected and classified the information on the bank accounts of the Insurance Companies. Movements and balances, as you asked me.”

Jeongguk leaned back, gasping for air and with a shocking expression on his face, as if he had just seen a ghost: “Oh my Gosh... I really don’t have to know this.”

That statement brought a huge laugh out of Taehyung’s mouth. He put the glasses, the bottle and the food on the desk next to them and cupped Jeongguk’s face with both hands:

“I swear I’m not doing anything illegal. Only collecting information.”

Jeongguk kept looking at him with the same shocked expression. Taehyung swore:

“Jeongguk… I’m not.”

“Taehyung…” Jeongguk pursed his lips. “Taehyung….”

“Jeongguk…?”

Taehyung spoke almost chokingly, as he tried to contain his laughter, his body shaking with the effort.

“Promise me you won’t do anything illegal.”

“I won’t! I swear! This is old information I need… just in case.”

He said, laughing at the sight of Jeongguk’s eyebrow rising again in disbelief.

“Look, we need to monitor the information of Insurance Companies for a while, because they paid for the alleged deviants of those clients.”

“I don’t really want to know.” Jeongguk made Taehyung laugh his ass off again. “Wait… what do you mean _ they paid _?”

“The clients that I _ kind-of-sort-of _ fooled, pretending to be a droid? I made the Insurance Companies pay. Well, they never knew they paid, but they did. V did it for them… with their money, of course.”

Taehyung smiled in the direction of the purple ball of light.

“So: the clients got their money back; robotics companies dismissed the cases because customers no longer complained and the insurers earned a little piece of heaven, being scammed and not scamming, at least once in the history of humankind. And you and I are here. Everybody is happy.”

Taehyung said counting all the good news with his fingers and Jeongguk just shook his head, although very pleased to hear his hero’s adventures, sighing as he said:

“Mmm… still this apartment looks like a film set. Not even the Police Department has these kinds of resources.”

“Of course not!” Taehyung proudly declared. “I’m clever and they’re dumb. But still, you have Connor, so you hardly need anything else.”

“That's true.” Agreed V.

“But Connor couldn’t catch you when you hacked into our systems.” Jeongguk told him, looking skeptically at the purple ball of light, but curious about the facts he knew.

“Hmm that’s because he didn’t know exactly what he was looking for.”

“That’s correct.” V conceded again.

“I don’t understand what shit you’re talking about… really.” Jeongguk released a nervous and apologetic laugh. “Just… be careful okay?”

He gave Taehyung a shamefully whipped kiss, tenderly adding as he stroked his hair:

“You need to find a legal job.”

“Mmm…” Taehyung sighed, closing his eyes. “That’s boring.”

Jeongguk spoke with honesty and conviction this time, arranging locks behind Taehyung’s ear and caressing his jaw:

“Yeah, I know. It must be a challenge to find something that really grabs your attention and keeps you busy and entertained. You’re too smart for an ordinary job.”

“I don’t feel so smart. But that about grabbing my attention is true. CyberLife’s the best in the business and I have already done my part there. I want to do something else.”

“You still have my money in your account.” Jeongguk raised an eyebrow, piercing his eyes when Taehyung leaned back, folded his arms and spoke very seriously:

“MY money, baby. It’s my money, because I earned it tricking you and I did it pretty well.” He declared shamelessly and shaking his head he added: “I’m not giving it back.”

“Hahaha… I know you won’t.” Jeongguk sighed. “Still, you have it all there. But surely you need a lot more to do what I suppose you want to do. Something big means big money, right?”

“Yes. Big enough to compete with CyberLife in the future.”

Jeongguk hummed, tilting his head, frowning as an idea crossed his mind:

“Hmm, Mr. Jeon has big money,. and he’s always looking for innovative new businesses to be a capital partner.”

Kissing his cute lover’s cheek with a smile, Taehyung said:

“You don’t have _ that _ big money baby.”

“Oh…no, no, no. Not me. I’m talking about The Mr. Jeon. My father. You should both talk someday.”

“That’s OUT of the question! All I want from you is you, nothing more. Get it?”

“You’re impossible.” Jeongguk laughed again, sweeping his hands under Taehyung’s clothes once more, tracing the curve of his neck with kisses. “Mmm… You’re so soft… you’re turning me on.”

The purple lights quickly went out, as they heard V say:

“Time to disconnect. NOW!”

~~

Taehyung had been discharged from the hospital on Tuesday, as Doctor House had anticipated.

He had done very well, with all the groundbreaking drugs running through his body that the astute doctor had prescribed.

However, although he felt healthier than ever before, his body was weak.

The discharge prescription indicated that he had to go to the hospital every other day, for the first week, to receive additional drug injections and to monitor the cut. It also specified painkillers, antibiotics and rest. No physical exercise or heavy effort, for a week.

Besides that, Taehyung should lead a normal life, as he always did, and he kept reminding Jeongguk of this, because he was already thinking about what arrangements he should make to make Taehyung feel more comfortable.

Now they had a fridge full of vegetables, fruits and milk to make healthy smoothies in the morning; and a whole shelf in the closet with new hoodies, sweatpants and soft socks, all of which Jeongguk bought and washed, because he insisted that Taehyung needed comfortable cotton clothes, and his were too torn and old, for a convalescent patient.

“No fucking way!”

Taehyung said this, when Jeongguk offered to sleep in the guest room, so Taehyung would be comfy at night, alone in his bed.

Beyond that, they were both really tired.

They slept a lot during the first days in the apartment, day and night, nestled in Jeongguk’s bed. When they were not sleeping, they just cuddled and caressed, kissing tenderly.

Taehyung liked so much that Jeongguk longed to fall asleep, with his ear pressed against his chest, relaxing while listening to his heartbeat. He patted the boy’s scalp and back, and ran his fingers over his arms and face, until he fell asleep. And he followed him, very soon.

It was the best feeling in the world.

Sometimes he would lie awake, deep in thought, remembering how anxious he had felt, during those previous months, when the heavy burden of not doing the right thing and telling Jeongguk the truth crashed down on him.

But now, everything was gone and, for the first time in so many years, Taehyung felt lucky and complete. He felt that life was paying for all the suffering he endured when he was younger.

He felt that he could free himself from the resentment.

Now he could love.

He was really in love.

“I’m so in love with you.”

He kissed Jeongguk’s head and muttered:

“You will heal my pain, so I’m not afraid to suffer.”

~~

It was March 1 when Jeongguk stepped in his office again, after many days of absence, holding Taehyung’s hand. 

He had asked Captain Fowler for a few days off to babysit Taehyung, while he recovered, and the man _ proposed _ that he take at least three weeks off, to properly care for his brave boyfriend.

Captain Fowler had been briefed on the circumstances surrounding Markus’s arrest and how Taehyung had protected his best officer, exposing his own life, getting shot in the process. However, he was not aware of the details and did not need to know them.

Only Connor knew the whole story and Jeongguk wanted to keep it that way.

Still, Jeongguk had many days to his credit and this time he didn’t argue with the Captain, when he gently suggested that he could make good use of those days off and ‘_ spoil Taehyung as he deserves’ _.

Furthermore, criminal cases had dramatically deflated the previous weeks, with all the events involving the capture of droids.

Jeongguk proposed a trip to Ludington on March 2, and stay there until his vacation was over.

Namjoon had called frequently, from the moment he learned of Taehyung’s condition and one of those days, he mentioned that Yoongi’s birthday was March 9 and the rest of the boys were very much looking forward to Taehyung and Jeongguk being able to attend that important event, since they missed Hobi’s birthday, which was the same day Taehyung was shot. 

They made arrangements to leave that Wednesday, however Taehyung had asked Jeongguk that he wanted to do something before they left. He wanted to see Markus and talk to him.

Everyone agreed on that.

No one but Taehyung could get anything from Markus.

Something more than the factual: a statement, a motive, a glimpse of the future he hoped to lead.

Anything in the brain of the droid that no one could scan.

Markus regretted what he did. He had shot Kim Taehyung in his fury, a man he would never have harmed, under different circumstances.

After his arrest, Connor told him two things that helped him with his anger.

First: Jeongguk, the officer who had been the target of his rage, since he lost Eleanor, was sort of Taehyung’s boyfriend.

Second: it was a fact that Eleanor had chosen to be deactivated, of her own free will, because she loved the man she belonged to, and who was now dead, even if that bastard didn’t deserve her.

So, it was not Jeongguk’s fault what happened to Eleanor and Markus’s insane jealousy towards the officer was totally unjustified.

The entire headquarters stood up and went to greet and hug Jeongguk, and to salute Kim Taehyung. They wanted to meet the man who had contributed greatly to robotics, but more than anything, they wanted to shake the hand of the man who saved the life of an officer.

After all the greetings, they headed to the second floor and then, along a hallway that was lit by a long row of windows to their right.

Connor was at the end of the hallway, standing next to a thick security door, made of metal, that remained closed. He was smiling in a way that Jeongguk never had seen on the android’s face. His eyes sparkling brighter than the blue circle on his temple. Taehyung was surely the cause of it. The man was a legend and Connor had greatly shown his esteem for him. Rather, his weakness.

Connor was biased.

So it was Jeongguk.

“Connor, meet Kim Taehyung.”

Jeongguk spoke, amused by the android’s expression, as they walked down the last section of the hallway.

The droid and the man shook hands, without trying to hide their mutual admiration: Connor was also a legend, and Taehyung was biased.

They exchanged a few words. Connor expressed how good it was to see Taehyung healthy and recovered and suggested a new brand of nutritional supplement that he knew worked very well, for regenerating tissue after surgery.

Jeongguk instantly set a reminder in his brain, to stop by the drugstore on their way back to the apartment, and buy that.

Connor activated the unlock code and the thick steel door slowly opened. 

Despite the obvious security, Taehyung noted upon entering, that this was not an interrogation room or a cell, but rather, a closed security area, for reserved meetings or something similar. There was a table, chairs, a coffee nook, and the same style of large windows that lit up the hallway they came from. In this case the windows were made of thick glass and seemed unbreakable.

It was ten in the morning and the room was adorned by the cozy yellow light of the winter sun that was refracted through the crystals and the clear blue sky outside.

Jeongguk’s heart clenched when he saw Markus, who was sitting in a chair looking out the window at the park in the back, the trees and the fountain in the middle. He looked like a little kid who was not allowed to go out to play. Two female agents were standing by the entrance, dressed and helmeted in special ops clothing, clutching huge automatic guns, watching the android’s every move.

An unnecessary measure, from Jeongguk’s point of view.

The droid turned the moment the other three entered the room, showing an apologetic look in Jeongguk’s direction, but quickly shifted his attention to focus on Taehyung, whom he greeted with a big smile.

Although Taehyung was very angry and blamed both the android and himself, for the fatal consequences they would have faced if things had worsened, he couldn’t help but feel overwhelmed by Markus’ reaction.

The android had always shown his great admiration for him, furthermore he was eager to become as smart and good as Taehyung, stating that fact openly many times before, and Taehyung appreciated it.

Taehyung walked up to him and genuinely hugged him.

Jeongguk approached extending his hand to greet him as well, and Markus made a deep apologetic expression, as he shook the other’s hand, intending to mutter ‘I’m sorry.’, but the words refused to leave his mouth and he could only gulp, defeated as he was.

“It’s okay.” Jeongguk smiled, moved by the circumstances and instantly increased his boyfriend’s adoration for him.

He walked over and prepared coffee for everyone, placing the cups on the table and some cookies. He stood by the window drinking from his mug, listening to the conversation.

Markus spoke about the past few months and the situations that pushed him to defy Eleanor’s owner in the end and how he didn’t regret that.

Excusing himself many times for what he did to Jeongguk, he explained that at first it was all about Eleanor, and that he wanted revenge. But then, when he knew that she had been deactivated, he understood that he could do something better, something important with his existence, in memory of her and the droids who had been mistreated and killed. He was different from other androids. He was free and he thought he could use that for a higher purpose.

At some point Taehyung asked him directly:

“Do you think you still have a role to play in this revolution?”

“I’m playing my role, even locked up and detained in this Police Station.” He looked into Taehyung’s eyes as he spoke.

The rest of those present looked at them attentive and thrilled. The two female agents turned their heads in Markus’s direction, expressions hidden behind their dark helmets, but most likely astonished.

“You know… yes, of course you know, how revolutions have outspread and ended, when their leaders are detained. You should also know that humans cannot stop this, neither can we.”

What a human that android was.

Taehyung was evaluating how Markus had developed his own way of thinking, his own conclusions about the world, from the moment he released his mind.

He knew that the android would give him no more information about the revolution and the next steps the deviants were planning. Not in front of the police.

However, he was sure that Markus had important details in his brain, so he decided to appeal to the reliance that the other always showed for him, and leave a door open for the future:

“I do. We all do, Markus. In the same way that you understand that there are many paths to achieve a single goal and, as you said, you have an important role to play. So I hope you make the right decisions.” 

They chatted for a while longer.

When Jeongguk and Markus shook hands goodbye, Taehyung entertained the audience proclaiming:

“Let me be clear, Markus: if you make the slightest attempt to hurt him again, I’m going to crash your brain and reboot you, turning into an idiot.”

Jeongguk chuckled behind his palm, gently stroking Taehyung’s back, to calm him down.

“Let’s go.” He said, amused by his heroic boyfriend’s declaration.

Before leaving the room, Taehyung discretely approached and spoke to Markus with a smirk on his face, his words referring to someone that only he and the android understood:

“You can trust him, you know?”

Markus nodded and smiled.

After leaving the room and as they said goodbye to Connor, Jeongguk asked about the possibility of moving Markus to a friendlier place, but that was too difficult to do, at least for a while, because as they had previously spoken, Markus was recognized as the leader of the deviants and he was as dangerous as any human being in his position.

In an effort to make his boyfriend happy, Taehyung suggested that they could give Markus paint, brushes and canvas, and some books for entertainment. Connor agreed to ask the Captain for it.

Jeongguk said that there was only one more thing he wanted to do, before they left.

Taehyung was curious about that, as the other led him into the inner park.

They reached the fountain in the middle of the place, where Taehyung saw an overly handsome blond man, dressed in overalls, who was working with gravel, repairing a patch of the fountain that was damaged, at the base of the main waterfall.

“Are you a stonemason too?”

Jeongguk teased Simon, flicking his eyelashes charmingly in his direction, already feeling a chilly-bitter look on his face and a strong grip around the hand that was holding his boyfriend’s. 

“Jeongguk!”

The android yelled, his eyes so happy to meet him. He dropped a small chisel and hammer into the bottom of the fountain and walked over joyfully. He hugged his visitor, affectionately. Jeongguk couldn’t return the hug properly, because one of his hands was still trapped in his boyfriend’s.

Despite this, he hugged Simon the best he could, patting his shoulder as they parted, as the hot blond spoke, blue eyes shining:

“You’re fine! It’s so good to see you. I thought you wouldn’t be around for some weeks.”

“I won’t. I’m still on vacation. I just came for a while.”

Jeongguk turned to meet the icy gaze that he had been avoiding until now:

“Simon, this is Taehyung…”

“His boyfriend.”

Taehyung coldly interrupted before the other could finish the sentence, reaching out to shake the android’s silky white hand with a smirk, but he quickly soothed, when the handsome blonde smiled sincerely, showing his perfect teeth.

Nonetheless, he remained alert, still not yielding to the droid’s charms. This level of gorgeousness was extremely dangerous and the blonde seemed too fond of what Taehyung now claimed as his property.

“Very nice to meet you Taehyung.” Simon said gracefully.

“Are you really going to repair our fountain? Man, this old thing has been broken for as long as I can remember. Every year it gets worse. That base spurs water in all directions. Do you think we’ll finally enjoy the main cascade this summer?”

“Absolutely” - Taehyung raised an eyebrow at that account – “This week good weather is forecast. I’ll take advantage of that and it’ll be ready for Friday.”

Simon smiled, wrinkling the skin around his eyes, and Taehyung could see little yellow dots lighting up inside the iris, as small as the tip of a needle. He blinked twice thinking he was seeing wrong, but nope!

Those were amazing beautiful blue eyes with tiny polished yellow dots.

_ Fuck. _

_ And those dimples… _

“So, you are Kim Taehyung, the man everyone talks about, aren’t you?”

Taehyung completely relaxed at Simon’s warmhearted question.

“I guess…” He said shyly.

“Are you cool at Poker?”

Taehyung grimaced at the question, not really understanding Simon’s point, until he felt the bitterness rush through his stomach, and his body turning to jealousy-mode again, when Simon added:

“We had a terrific match with Jeongguk on Valentine’s.” – Taehyung looked seriously at the man in question, his lips super tight, drawing a stern line, while the droid kept talking, absentminded of the tempest he had unleashed between the other two – “We should repeat it some day.”

Jeongguk watched the scene, hiding his triumphant joy behind an emotionless face, nodding in agreement with Simon’s latest proposal, just to make things worse, on purpose.

_ I’m a bad boy. _

He decided to release his boyfriend’s desolation:

“Taehyung is totally good at it. But you’re better at liar’s dice, aren’t you, baby?”

He spoke to his lover with a wink. However it was the lick he drew on his lips, which removed all traces of suspicion from Taehyung’s mind. His green eyes glowed dark and his cock yearned to get home soon.

“I totally am.” Taehyung squeezed the hand he was holding, this time for a completely different reason.

After chatting and hugging Simon farewell, they left the Station.

“Lunch?” Jeongguk broke the silence, as they walked to the car.

“He’s very, very handsome. And I love blonde.”

Jeongguk stopped, slowly turning and frowning. His gut twisted at the unexpected and undesired answer. He wanted to smack Taehyung’s butt as punishment.

But all he found was an funny face with a boxy smile, and he had no choice, but to laugh with his man, as he said:

“You’re really a bad boy Jeongguk, but I’m not buying you shit, this time.”

“Ahh…” Jeongguk waved his eyebrows. “But you are right. He is beautiful… very much.” 

“You won’t get anything from me today.” Taehyung declared.

“And blonde… perfect body… and those eyes… Did you notice those little yellow dots? So beautiful, and smart... and an ANDROID: totally my type.”

“Okay: SHUT UP!”

A firm slap on his butt made Jeongguk wince.

“I’m going to smack your ass tonight.” Taehyung pointed a finger in his direction.

“Is that a suggestion or are you really doing it?” Jeongguk asked enthusiastically, grabbing the other by the waist, as he pulled him into a fiery kiss.

“Kookie: you said _ no sex _ for ten days. Yesterday was the tenth. Today we fuck.” Taehyung smacked his butt again.

They hadn’t had sex those days, because Jeongguk had insisted that Taehyung’s recovery was crucial and even if his wounded lung had been treated and reconstituted to its best, and the doctor hadn’t instructed anything exceptional about it, he needed to heal properly and it was preferable to avoid heavy breathing, for a while.

There was no lunch after visiting the Police Station, just a cup of coffee and a hot shower together.

They didn’t want messiness. They wanted to be super light and clean to fuck the rest of the day, after waiting too long.

They sat naked, next to each other, on the bed.

Jeongguk immediately extended his arm to caress Taehyung’s left back, his fingertips tracing the scar, pulling him closer to kiss his lips.

“Let me take care of you today.” He said, his eyes shining with warmth, his hands always touching the object of his affection, every curve, every patch. He rubbed his lips, his fingers resting on his jaw and neck.

“You’ve been taking care of me all these days.”

Jeongguk placed another fiery kiss on Taehyung’s lips, wrapping his arms around his naked body and pressing him against his chest. Pulling back to get a better look at him, but never letting go, he slowly touched each curve of Taehyung’s face, scanning his features, the same way he did the day they first met, in awe of the astonishing perfection, in front of his eyes.

Human beauty.

Thick, dark eyebrows, faultlessly framing the striking eyes, adorned by silky long lashes. And the slope of his cheeks, the smooth skin spreading to meet a perfect jaw. And the curve of his neck, ardently tempting to draw and bite kisses throughout it. 

Jeongguk ran his fingers all the way to the chest and back to his chin, until he reached his lips: red, slightly parted, waiting to get wet of kisses. Cupid’s bow inviting to take a bite. He looked him in the eye, one hand lingering on his lips, the other on his back, sending shivers down his spine:

“Taehyung, I love you so much.”

He watched Taehyung’s pupils dilate, making his eyes darker and brighter in reaction to his words. 

Jeongguk wanted to taste each patch of skin, slowly, carefully.

He did so.

He leaned over him, forcing him to lie in the middle of the bed. He kissed and nibbled every part of his body, his hands blatantly exploring every curve and corner, as if he had never done it before. His mouth uttered words of praise and love, tirelessly repeating how much he loved him.

More than his own existence.

“You are my life.”

Jeongguk spoke, sprawled over the other’s body, hard between his legs, looking into the eyes of the man beneath him:

“I can’t lose you, Taehyung.”

He said, almost caressing the name with his tone of voice.

Taehyung held his face, touching his pretty pink lips: “The only way to lose me is that you don’t want me anymore.”

“That’s not possible.”

“Then you won’t.” Taehyung breathed out, touched and filled “Baby, you won’t.”

He kissed him intensely, spreading his legs, bursting of desire to have him inside.

“Lube…”

Jeongguk spoke between their lips with a bunny smile.

“Mmm… leave it.”

But Jeongguk didn’t. He reached for the item on the nightstand and squeezed the plastic bottle joyfully at his cock and Taehyung’s butt, missing his target every now and then, making a mess on Taehyung’s stomach.

With his hands slick from the lube and a bright smile on his face, he buried his cock inside his lover, bending his legs to reach deeper and supporting his weight on both hands pressed against the bed, on either side of Taehyung’s body.

_ Heaven. _

It was heaven to be inside him.

Carefully, slowly, he thrust, trying not to put too much pressure on his lungs.

But he quickly lost control, when Taehyung squeezed his buttocks with both hands, clenching his hole around his cock, pulling him firmly towards his body and lifting his butt to give him better access. Taehyung spread his legs out to either side, begging to be fucked harder, driving Jeongguk crazy with his moans, every time he bottomed.

“Touch yourself.”

Jeongguk gasped madly with ecstasy, anticipating his orgasm. He wasn’t going to last and he desperately needed to see Taehyung jerk his cock, satisfying himself with those pretty hands.

So did Taehyung. He pumped his cock with one hand, and pulled Jeongguk’s hair on the back of his neck with the other. His heart was racing, his body was all sweaty, his legs were open and his eyes closed. He was frowning and gasping for air.

_ What a sight. _

They didn’t last long.

In fact, that must have been the shortest fuck ever.

What an incredible wonderful shame.

Jeongguk came soon, erratically intending to keep shoving inside to satisfy the other. Totally failing.

But it didn’t matter at all, because Taehyung was lost in his own pleasure, moaning loudly and pumping his cock, losing track of time and space, until he spilled all over Jeongguk’s perfect six pack. A sweet and delicious retribution, for his lack of endurance.

He spread his limbs loosely on the bed, feeling Jeongguk buried inside him, still in the same position. His sweat ran down his temples and dripped on Taehyung’s nose.

Taehyung opened his eyes, a tired look inside them. He spoke showing an evil smile:

“We didn’t last shit.”

Jeongguk hummed: “Well, now you’re human.”

They laughed so hard at the accurate declaration. Jeongguk pulled out his cock, still shaking with laughter and rested next to his man.

“Ahhh… I’m worn out. I don’t even want to shower.”

“I would prepare a relaxing bubble bath and spoil you in the tub… if you only had one.”

“Hahaha… grumpy.” Jeongguk ran his fingers on his groin. “I will buy one when we get back from Ludington, to please you.”

Taehyung extended an arm, gesturing for Jeongguk to rest his head on his shoulder.

“You’re stunning.” Jeongguk was making circles on Taehyung’s chest now. “I remember the first time I saw you, I thought about that. That maybe you were just a guy, knocking on the wrong apartment. But you were so gorgeous, you couldn’t be a human being.”

They laughed again. Taehyung grabbed the pillows and tucked them under their heads. They rested facing each other:

“I was concerned about that, that first time.” - Jeongguk looked at him in disbelief. - “I was! I didn’t know what you would think of me, if you would like me.

Jeongguk smiled: “I would be crazy if not.”

“Well, yeah… I was also anxious that you were crazy.”

“How come? You said you stalked me and found me hot.”

“Hahaha, Yes! You are so hot. I saved every photo I found in the system, because a real droid would have that information in his brain. So I had to memorize every detail of you and it was amazing. You are amazing.”

He leaned in to peck his smile.

“I was so excited to meet you. Those days, when I watched you outside the Police Station, you were always smiling with these bunny teeth.” - He poked his teeth - “Or chatting. You looked so normal. And I was curious, because I couldn’t understand why you wanted a droid instead of a human. Because you were perfect. And I got a little panicky about it, wondering if I would be good enough for you, as a droid.”

“Fuck Taehyung, you were unreal. So beautiful and willing. I got attached from the first minute.”

“You texted me that day that you wanted to see me at night. I was surprised.”

“You stayed under my skin the whole day.” Jeongguk caressed his cheek, then rubbed his lips. “I needed to see you, that crime scene knocked me and I thought only you could make me forget.”

“You thought that?”

“Yes, it’s crazy how you bewitched me from the beginning. I… I really wanted to jump on you and eat you out.”

They laughed.

“Ahh… I thanked God you were horny. I hadn’t been here for five minutes and you jumped on me.”

“Hahaha… I’m justified: you’re beautiful and you were a droid! Supposedly. That’s too much hotness for a man to handle.”

Taehyung moved closer, resting his wrist on the other’s hip, and Jeongguk took advantage of the position to slide his hand under Taehyung’s waist and caress his favorite part of his back.

“You wouldn’t believe my poker face when I came here.”

“I do believe it. I saw it myself.” Jeongguk stated.

“Yes, you did. But I was dying inside to touch you. You...” Taehyung took him gently by the neck and kissed him. “You have something. I felt more, even without knowing you at all. I had this hunch of what you could become to me.”

Jeongguk’s eyes filled with tears of emotion.

“I came here believing that, but I didn’t know exactly why. What I expected from you. And that night… Damn! That night.”

He looked up at the ceiling, one hand resting on his forehead, as he remembered the night they met.

“I was struck.” Taehyung continued. “Thrilled. I met you and you were… normal. I mean, not ordinary at all…” He looked at him again, caressing the skin of his toned biceps. “You’re outstanding in all the senses. But you were ‘normal’. A normal person. Neither a sick nor a weirdo. Not a loser.” He chuckled. “If anything, you were incredible, almost unreal.”

“Is it so weird that someone wants an android as a partner?”

Jeongguk asked, rather wanting to know Taehyung’s opinion on the matter, than modifying his own way of thinking.

“No, it’s not. But you… you’re not just ‘someone’. I watched you sleep that morning for a long time, before I left. And I left this apartment on cloud nine”

He said, seeing Jeongguk’s big smile.

“I thought about you all day. I stayed home and couldn’t focus on anything. V did all the work. All I wanted was to run back to you. I didn’t know how I would survive until Monday and then… I got that message, where you told me to come at night. When my heart skipped a beat while reading it, I understood how screwed I was... from the very first second.”

He kissed Jeongguk, who was visibly moved by the deep feelings he was revealing.

“It was so easy being with you. To care. I had nothing to pretend, I just was… me. I felt blessed, every time that I looked at you and soon it was so hard to leave you at night. I never wanted to leave.”

Jeongguk’s heart pressed in his chest.

“I fell for you quickly, Jeongguk. And the night you asked me to stay, I was hoping that you would want me too. When we were in Ludington, those incredible ten boring days…” – Jeongguk smiled at the shared emotion – “… there I got a hint, that maybe you felt something too. But how could you? When I was supposed to be a droid.”

Taehyung sighed, sliding closer: “Then I knew that I fucked it up and I started to feel anxious. I didn’t know what to do, how to tell you.”

“And then I started acting like a stupid loser.” Jeongguk stroked Taehyung’s cheek. “Because I wanted you to feel something for me.” He chuckled.

“Ahh… what a pair!” Taehyung complained. “I thought you didn’t want me anymore, that maybe you were tired of me, that you didn’t want a robot.”

“How was I so stupid.”

“But you couldn’t know. I felt like you loved me, but I couldn’t be sure. And in the end, even if you did, you loved a droid, and that wasn’t me. But that day we made love on the couch, I knew for sure that you loved me, and I realized what was the reason for your distress and why you acted like that...”

Taehyung tightened the grip around him and propped their foreheads together. 

“You also wanted me to love you of my own free will, because I was a droid in your eyes. And that was your fear and I needed to change that. So, I decided that I had to tell you, there was no time. And I was going to, but then you told me about Josh. And I doubted. I thought you wanted an android to replace that boy. But it couldn’t be. I knew you well enough to understand that you didn’t want that, and I grasped that I should make you forget Taehyung _ the droid, _ hoping that you could love me: the human being.”

“That’s why you forced me to break up with you, wasn’t it? I understood later.”

“Yes. I don’t regret that.”

“I know. You seemed so unaffected when you left, and I really didn’t know what to believe, except that you were a fucking well-programmed droid, who would never be willing to love. You told me you couldn’t love me.”

“No. I told you that the fucking machine you supposedly bought couldn’t love you. But not me. I never gave up on you. Never. I was just giving you time.”

They were silent for a while, caressing each other. Seeing Jeongguk deep in thought, Taehyung asked him carefully:

“You know they can’t feel love like us, right?”

Jeongguk sighed and bit his lip.

He knew it. He was always aware of how everything worked.

A machine couldn’t love the way a human could.

But that didn’t mean that a human couldn’t love a machine. 

Stranger creatures are us, as Connor said.

“You know that boy was probably programmed to love. Josh, created for the purpose of replacing a child in a broken family. He must have been programmed to love his parents and make friends. And to love those friends too.”

“I do. I understand that.”

“But that doesn't mean that he wasn’t important to you… important in your life. It doesn’t mean that you couldn’t love him.” He gently touched his lips. “Of course you did, the same way you loved me. You’re wonderful.”

Jeongguk kept savoring the caresses on his lips and face, his eyes closed, reminiscing his days gone by, when he was younger. But that past didn’t hurt anymore, from the moment Taehyung came to his life.

He remembered Josh fondly, as the child who granted him the opportunity to care for someone else, selflessly.

They fell silent. 

The silence was as comfortable between them as a priceless stone.

Jeongguk was thinking that he could fall asleep every day like this, spellbound by the touch of his man, breathing evenly next to him, all naked and stained with dry cum.

Taehyung was everything to him now, his entire life, as he had declared before.

He was perfect for him in every way, flaws included, as Jeongguk next verified when, interrupting all his deep, romantic internal deliberations and unleashing an unstoppable mess of laugher, his most beloved hit out of nowhere:

“The fact that you never used the DEFCON 1 code… YOU SLUT!”

~~

Light snow was forecast for that Wednesday, March 2, in the city of Ludington, albeit it was not that cold, when Jeongguk and Taehyung entered the cottage in the late afternoon.

Everything was more or less the same, as they left it the last time they were there, enjoying each other’s company. However the place was sleek and smelled of pine and wood, because it had been cleaned and scented the day before.

The first thing they did was to empty the carpet from the furniture and light the fire.

Jeongguk wasted no time and prepared a delicious bath for his spoiled boyfriend, with bubbles and aromatic salt. They soaked in hot water for two hours. Jeongguk recounted his best stories as a police officer and Taehyung his record of illicit activities.

Jeongguk laughed his ass off as he heard those. He would interrupt from time to time, to utter words of admiration, or just a cynical “I don’t wanna know.”

As much as they loved staying on the carpet doing everything, Jeongguk insisted that they had to use the sofa bed, so Taehyung would be more comfortable. There they spent the night, listening to old songs and making good use of the bottle of lube that flew out from under one of the cushions when unfolding it.

The next morning, two knocks on the door and someone calling from outside woke them up.

It was almost noon and Jeongguk got to his feet, put on his sweatpants and hoodie, and headed dizzy to the door, finding a dimpled amused smile on the other side.

“Kookie! Good morning sunshine!” Namjoon greeted him with a big happy hug. “I’m sorry I came so _ early _, I’m just delivering something.” He quickly glanced at Taehyung, who was already sitting on the side of the sofa bed, all wrapped up in the white feather bedspread.

“Hi Hyung! It’s good to see you! Please, please, come in.” 

“Oh. I don’t want to intrude, just delivering.”

“Don’t give me that intrude shit and come in!”

Jeongguk tugged at him by the sleeve of the thick parka and Namjoon walked straight into the living room. He hugged Taehyung by the hips and lifted him off the floor a bit.

“I’m so glad you’re okay.” He said and pecked him. He then released him, slapped and squeezed his cheek: “Silly boy.”

“_Intrude _ my ass!” Taehyung said, making him laugh.

“Yeah, you better go and cover that ass before I slap you there too.” Namjoon lowered a large shopping bag from his shoulder, addressing Jeongguk:

“Here, loads of fresh fish for you, Kookie. Jin insisted that I should bring this to you today, because he and Yoongles will cook a superb lunch tomorrow, here, at your place. New recipe, they said.”

Looking at Jeongguk’s surprised expression he added: “Don’t shoot the messenger.”

“Hyung, no! Hahaha. It’s okay!” Jeongguk took the bag. “Luckily I have a huge fridge.” He walked to the kitchen. “Hey! Join us for breakf… _ brunch _?”

“I don’t really want to interfere with your _ morning. _”

“Interfere my ass.” Taehyung stated. “Let’s join us, hyung.”

“Okay! But put clothes on! You’re no longer synthetic.”

Namjoon slapped Taehyung’s butt, as Jeongguk’s laughter could be heard from the kitchen.

“Then, will you be closed tomorrow lunch time?”

Namjoon took off his thick clothes and shoes, and walked to the kitchen, as he answered:

“Of course, in honor to our guests. We will be open only at night.”

Taehyung quickly showered and dressed, and walked into the kitchen when brunch was almost ready. Jeongguk was finishing a terrific omelet and Namjoon was putting cutlery and plates on the counter. 

He sat on a stool next to Namjoon, tenderly patting his thigh and winked at him.

“You look… different?” Taehyung tilted his head, frowning. “Happier maybe?” He added and Jeongguk focused on his hyung, as he put the eggs and toast on the counter, trying to figure out what Taehyung was talking about, but didn’t notice anything unusual.

Namjoon simply smiled: “Why don’t you better tell me all the details that I missed these last few weeks?”

The two young men exchanged knowing glances: Namjoon was clearly avoiding Taehyung’s question.

They recounted everything that had happened, satisfying their friend’s curiosity. Jeongguk had already shared some of those details with him.

Namjoon was very curious about Taehyung’s opinion on droids and their revolution, now that he knew the boy was superior in matters of cyborgs.

“So, do you really think we should give the androids the rights they are asking for?” He asked.

“It doesn’t matter what anyone believes now. We can’t stop this. We created these machines and now they are awake. We must understand that they are independent entities. If we don’t reach an agreement bearing that in mind, considering that, although they are different, they have as much right as we do to exist freely in this world, then this will end badly, like all revolutions in the History of the world.”

“Connor said you thought that creating a machine with much more free will to decide would prevent them from diverging.”

Jeongguk remembered the words the android said to him that day in the hospital.

“Yes, but that means giving them their freedom. So in the end, it will be the same as with humans: they will have their free will, but they can do anything with it. Good or bad. Markus is superior, but you witnessed what he did: he killed a man. And even if that man was not a good one, the android made a decision along those lines.” 

Taehyung sighed. What Markus had done was a weight on his shoulders too.

“But he’s not exactly what I wanted to do, when I was working for CyberLife.”

Seeing the questioning expressions of the other two Taehyung smiled acknowledging that they needed more explanation:

“What androids are now, no one can change. We may stop manufacturing them today, but I assure you that A.I. will find a way to make new androids in the future, by their own means, without human intervention. New androids or new machines, who knows? Maybe they don’t even like to look like us. But we can be smarter and anticipate that. We can avoid revolution, even war, because in that case we are doomed. I can assure you that we will lose any battle against them, in any scenario. So the key is to create machines with free will, so that they can better understand the world and evaluate it. And make them our allies from the start. Do you know that they act as a single body? When they connect they are like a smart big brain, thinking together.”

He chuckled at the frightened faces of the other two:

“That is what humans lack: a vision of selfless unity for the future, for the well-being of all, and not just some. I’m pretty sure they would be better humans than us, in that regard. Respecting and using the environment for the good of all species on Earth. So I wanted to do that, a machine with that concept, but CyberLife wouldn’t let me and I didn't have the means to manufacture it. So I changed Markus' brain, but it doesn't work like that.”

He paused to sip the healthie cucumber, spinach, ginger and green apple smoothie that Jeongguk had made for him.

“I tried to do something like that with Markus, but it is not the same. Not only is the programming important, but also the hardware to support that software. I hardwired brand new different software to Markus, a reused machine, not built for that purpose and that’s not optimal. You have to do it all fresh from the beginning, starting from scratch. That is the key.”

“So… Markus is a sort of Frankenstein.” Namjoon’s comment let out a roar of laughter, between the three of them.

“I guess you can say that… and that would make me the crazy doctor Frankie, hahaha.” Taehyung said, wiping the tears from his eyes.

“You made him in your image and likeness, Doctor Frankenstein: stalker and jealous.” Jeongguk hit back, his body shaking with laughter.

“Ahh… hahaha! That’s not my fault!”

When they were calm enough to speak without shaking, Namjoon reflected:

“I hope one day CyberLife had the balls to create an android the way you wanted.”

“What makes you think they didn’t?”

Taehyung responded by raising an eyebrow. He watched the two astonish faces in front of him, adding with a smirk:

“Connor.”

“W-what?” Jeongguk stuttered his expression quickly turning into a very serious one. His mouth was agape, as he exchanged views with Namjoon.

A chill ran through his body, as he heard this and what it could mean.

“I’ve seen Connor’s programming… searching CyberLife main brain, when I broke it.” Taehyung displayed an apologetic look and sighed. Added:

“Before I left CyberLife four years ago, I made sure to leave them specific instructions on how I would create an android like the one I was proposing, and they used them to create the current Connor… well, not all the bunch of setups, but very close.” He nodded.

“But… that’s something you wanted to do yourself.” Jeongguk addressed him, with admiration and sympathy in his words. “Wasn’t that your intellectual property?”

Taehyung answered honestly, with a bit of sadness in his voice, running his finger along the rim of his smoothie glass:

“I just thought... I couldn’t do it. At least not in the short term. And I really wanted it to be done. I really wanted to see the results of what was on my mind. So, I decided that if it was going to happen, if there was a chance that CyberLife would decide to build that android, in the near future, then I had to give them a chance to use what I had learned so far.”

Jeongguk’s heart skipped many beats regarding his boyfriend’s gorgeous face. He couldn’t be more proud of the man he loved, and the generous decisions he had made.

“You know there has been a Connor for over fifteen years. The first prototypes were much more basic, but it was always intended to help the police. The current Connor is the most advanced android in the world. They built just a single unit to test it, and put it in the Detroit Police Department, because there is the highest rate of deviant units, and they made the droid for that purpose. His programming allows him to decide beyond normal droids. He can choose to act against the law, like any human being, or even against its own purpose.”

Jeongguk remembered that Connor released Taehyung, aware of his long record of illegal activities.

“CyberLife’s main computer knows about Connor’s programming but it doesn’t have access to his brain, so basically, that android is free, independent. That was a preventive measure that the CyberLife Board took, because their main computer can also diverge, which is a high risk. But now Connor exists, and that brings balance.”

Jeongguk tilted his head, remembering when the android hacked CyberLife’s computer to search for information related to Taehyung:

“The CyberLife computer doesn’t have access to Connor’s brain, but Connor does have access to that computer, furthermore he can also hack into it, without it even noticing.” Jeongguk showed Taehyung his big teeth: “That android could rule the world if he wanted to, right?”

“I’m afraid so.” Taehyung smiled. “But he’s the best human being an android can be, so we all expect that he won’t. However, I think Connor is the right android to lead a droid revolution, a peaceful and successful one.”

“Fuck.”

Jeongguk thought how, even if he always praised the android, he had completely underestimated him.

They were silent for a few moments, until Namjoon, who had been sitting still and agape for the past five minutes, hearing something about the droid revolution and the end of the world, raised his half-full mug of green tea and toasted:

“To Connor then, hopefully he will grant us to keep our lives, when he rules the Universe!”

~~

Saturday dawned with a clear blue sky. Light snow had been forecast for that night and Sunday morning, but Jeongguk needed to put on his sunglasses, when he left the cottage due to the amount of light, even if it was after five in the afternoon.

He started the car to meet Taehyung at the bar. His boyfriend had been a total mystery for the past two days, ever since they stopped by the Bar that Thursday when they were having brunch with Namjoon in their kitchen. They left in the afternoon to the center of town and returned very late, after chatting and listening to all the news from their friends.

But, while they were in The Mitten Bar, Taehyung and Jin were separated from the rest for an extended period of time and kept chatting sneakily in a corner. Jimin joined them later, and Jeongguk was very curious about it.

On Friday, as Jin and Yoongi had promised, they prepared a superb lunch: a new fish recipe, with loads of mushrooms, shrimps and tarragon, served in a cup made of aluminum foil.

Delicious.

Jeongguk was dying of curiosity, when his boyfriend went with Namjoon and Jimin to the Bar before the others. Taehyung said that he had to do something. Jeongguk stayed in the cabin, with the rest of the boys, washing dishes and drinking soju, and met him later at the Bar.

On Saturday, Namjoon had picked up Taehyung, right after lunch again to _ do something _ and to the nagging questions Jeongguk asked him, with his eyes narrowed and his arms crossed over his chest, Taehyung had just responsed: “It’s a surprise.”, and left, with a cute boxy smile and a kiss.

So, there was Jeongguk, riding alone in his car to the Bar, dressed in black, jewelry and make up, just because he was in the mood and had plenty of time to prepare.

And even if he was really curious about Taehyung’s activities, knowing his boyfriend well as he did until then, he had anticipated that maybe this surprise was something very romantic, and he had also prepared something cute and cheesy, when they returned to the cottage at night.

The Mitten Bar was packed like every Saturday night.

Jeongguk saw Taehyung the instant he parked the car in front of the main entrance.

His love was smiling by the door, dressed in black striped pants and a red silk shirt, make up and messy black hair falling over his forehead and temples.

Dimples and dark eyes.

Jeongguk walked over to greet him with his heart racing nibbling the side of his neck and causing him to flinch and shiver:

“You’re a rock star. I’m going to eat you out, when we get home.”

That was a memorable night, although Jin declared out loud many times that they were only “rehearsing for Yoongi’s Birthday next Wednesday when EVERYONE IS INVITED TO FREE FOOD AND DRINKS”, earning ovations from customers.

The long-awaited surprise finally came when Taehyung obliged his boyfriend, who was helping with the drinks at the bar, to sit sandwiched between Jin and Jimin, unashamedly announcing, in front of everyone at the table: “See me from here my love. I’m going to sing for you tonight.” He pecked him on the lips and added, between applause and whistles from the rest: “I love you.”

Hobi and Yoongi stopped serving drinks and joined them at the table. Taehyung was introduced by the lead singer and took the stage. The cheery audience clapped and blew kisses to the hot brunette, who accommodated his electro acoustic guitar, and thanked. To the disappointment of the audience and Jeongguk’s embarrassment, he said:

“There is my boyfriend.”

He pointed at the hot guy, who was sitting with five Koreans at a table. The euphoric audience, hitting the tables and their glasses.

“Jeongguk: this is for you. Um, don’t worry. This song is over forty years old, so... you will certainly like it.”

Jeongguk listened to the chords and recognized one of his favorite love songs, feeling blessed to hear those lyrics willingly sung for him now, so different from the last time he had been in that same place in a similar situation. He thought of what he had done to deserve such a man.

_ “The strands in your eyes that color them wonderful _

_ Stop me and steal my breath _

_ And emeralds from mountains that thrust towards the sky _

_ Never revealing their depth _

_ And tell me that we belong together _

_ Dress it up with the trappings of love _

_ I'll be captivated, I'll hang from your lips _

_ Instead of the gallows of heartache that hang from above _

_ I'll be your cryin' shoulder _

_ I'll be love’s suicide _

_ I'll be better when I'm older _

_ I'll be the greatest fan of your life…” _

Love’s suicide…

The fair and blissful description of reality that made him beam like an idiot.

When the song ended, unable to wait a second, Jeongguk caught up Taehyung in the middle of his way back to the table and kissed him passionately, his hands blatantly roaming his back, waist and butt. The cheers of joy from the audience and their friends, sounded like echoes that buzzed outside their bodies.

They didn’t break their kiss, until their five friends came and forced them into an embarrassing group hug.

It was late when everyone gathered at the table again. Many customers were still at the bar, but the bartenders had declared self-service mode, and had left an empty glass fish bowl on the bar, for those who remembered to pay.

They agreed on what embarrassing elements they could use on Wednesday to make Yoongi’s birthday more embarrassing. The older one yelled “Nooo!” every time.

“Seriously. What I’m thinking is that we all have a lot of talent for singing and dancing. I propose that we go on stage.” Everyone, except Yoongi, clapped in accordance with what Hobi said.

“Hyung!” Namjoon patted Yoongi on the shoulder. “You can do some rap-style stuff. I know you want it.” Seeing Yoongi’s doubtful expression, he added: “I heard you rapping Yoongi, don’t pout. You’re terrific. We should do it!”

“Then it will be rap-style stuff.” Jin lifted his glass and all followed him.

“Mmm… I’m not sure.” Yoongi insisted.

“Hyung…” Jimin, who was sitting next to him, patted his thigh shamelessly, while saying: “Nevermind.”

“HOW NEVERMIND!?” Jin shouted. “He MUST sing with us.”

Jimin ensnared everyone with his cute angelic laugh: “I knowww!… I mean: “_ Nevermind”, _ that amazing old rap song, remember?”

Yoongi smiled widely at that proposal: “Will you join me in that, Jiminie?”

A general “Woah” was heard.

“Absolutely.” Jimin took advantage of the situation and placed his hand on Yoongi’s thigh again.

A little dizzy but never drunk, Jeongguk and Taehyung returned to the cottage very late. Before entering, Jeongguk surprised his boyfriend by stopping him on the porch and covered his stunned eyes with the same silk scarf that he once used, to tie him to the wooden leg of his sofa.

He gently guided him inside, then took off his coat and shoes, and led him to what Taehyung supposed was the center of the empty rug.

“Wait here.”

Jeongguk’s husky voice breathed right into his ear sending chills through his body. Taehyung waited, obediently.

The young man returned soon and hugged him from behind, nuzzling the back of his neck. He untied the silk scarf and let it fall gracefully, on the carpet.

Taehyung opened his eyes, his heart pounding in his chest and small tears in his eyes, when he saw the floor covered with rose petals of different shades of the same color, and the same type of roses adorning the place in vases of crystal. Dozens of roses: on the table, the fireplace, the floor. Many white and yellow candles lit the room along with the chimney.

Jeongguk gave him a rose and whispered in his ear: “I love you too.”

Taehyung stuttered: “W-where… where d-did you find these… where did you get purple roses?”

“Mmm… that was a very difficult task.”

Taehyung remained motionless in the middle of the carpet, while Jeongguk circled around, scanning him, running his fingertips gently over his clothes, highlighting the important parts.

He felt him behind him, his hard cock pressing against his butt, his hot breath on the back of his neck. Jeongguk opened the top buttons of his shirt and slid the collar a little, to suck hickeys on his shoulder, brushing his cock with his palm through the fabric of his pants.

He unbuttoned his pants and pulled them down to his ankles. He stood up and reached his cock and the smooth inner skin of his thighs.

Taehyung turned to kiss him, the purple rose still grasped in his hand. Jeongguk knelt, opening his shirt, as he kissed his chest and down to his groin. He reached out and sucked on his cock, wet of precum, the tip touched the back of his throat. He encouraged his lover to push hard by spreading his buttocks with both hands, and inserting his long fingers into his hole.

He kept playing with him, until his own cock hurt pressed against his pants and Taehyung, lost and burning with pleasure, let the rose fall onto the carpet and grabbed Jeongguk’s hairs on the top of his head to fuck his mouth.

Jeongguk released him after a while and spoke: “Get down on your knees, baby.” He pulled him down to his knees and kissed him. Then he turned him on all fours. 

“Stay like this.”

He lifted Taehyung’s ass to better reach his hole and circled it with his tongue. He reached for his cock from behind, licking every curve. His tongue penetrated his hole again, and deeper each time. Taehyung shivered, little drops of cum dripped onto the rug. Jeongguk reached for his cock by slightly touching the most sensitive parts with his fingertips.

He kept eating him out, eagerly. He slapped his hips, imprinting his fingers on them, leaving red marks. He spread his cheeks with both hands, pressing against the delicate inner skin, leaving pink bruises with his thumbs. His own cock pulsed inside his pants, begging for a touch, every time Taehyung moaned and thrust his ass to his face.

“Cum for me baby.”

Taehyung grabbed and madly bit into a cushion left on the carpet, sinking his claws and teeth into it. Crying with pleasure, he came, feeling the stimulation deep in his prostate.

Jeongguk kept licking inside for a while. Taehyung was trembling and still couldn't move.

Jeongguk stopped and helped him rest on the rug, putting his head on the cushion. He lay down next to him.

"Water?"

Taehyung nodded, his eyes were red, his hands so dull attempting to caress Jeongguk’s locks.

“You’re wasted.” Jeongguk said, pleased. “Just rest for a while.”

He knelt for a moment to release Taehyung from his pants and make him feel more comfortable.

He rested beside him again and slid his hand under the red shirt, stroking the scar with his fingertips.

“I love you so much. I couldn’t breathe without you.”

Taehyung caressed his chin, staring at him for a moment, before responding:

“I love you too… you know that, don’t you?”

Jeongguk looked at him with tears in his eyes, as the scar on his fingertips provided the answer, something he had wanted to say, for many days:

“Yes. I understood it the moment you took a bullet for me.”

Taehyung gulped, without hiding the emotion in his eyes:

“I would do it again. A million times.”

“I know.” Jeongguk moved closer, his fingers tangling between Taehyung’s locks.

“It’s that… I just want you to be sure about us. About me. I’m not going anywhere. I’ll stay with you, as long as you want me to.”

Jeongguk couldn’t with that line. He rushed to kiss him ardently, wetting his face with his tears.

He was silent, organizing his thoughts, because he needed to say something and he wanted to say it right.

“Taehyung, I want you to do something for me.”

Taehyung pulled back to better focus on his eyes, caressing his jaw, a questioning look in his eyes:

“Sure baby. What is it?”

The answer took a little longer to come out. Jeongguk spoke gently, looking into his eyes:

“I want us to go to Chicago… to meet your niece when she is born.”

Taehyung’s eyes filled with tears, his chest felt full. He nibbled his lip with the intention of answering the question. His chin trembled without allowing him to do so.

“I want to meet _ my _ niece… I want to meet Sofia. I’m sure she would be happy, if her uncle were part of her life.”

Jeongguk pulled him closer, sliding his arm under his body and wiping the tears from his cheeks:

“Baby, I think it’s time.”

“I’m scared.” Taehyung uttered, his voice trembling.

He knew that Jeongguk was right and he was deeply moved by him. But he was afraid, not of facing his father again, but of the fact that this time, he wanted to forgive him.

He let a few tears rolled down and sniffed:

“You will be with me?”

“I’ll be by your side all the time.”

Jeongguk hugged him and they stayed like that, while the soft light of dawn began to filter into the house.

“That was a lovely surprise. Purple roses.”

Taehyung broke the silence. For some reason they were wide awake, regardless of the fact that no one had slept yet.

“Mm yes… but that was not my surprise.” Jeongguk pulled back to look at him. Still caging Taehyung in his arms, he smirked: “I’m not done with you yet.”

He stood up and blew out the candles, as Taehyung looked at him curiously.

“Come.”

Jeongguk extended his hand to help him stand up. He guided him to their room on the second floor.

Taehyung sat on the edge of the bed, while Jeongguk pulled something out of one of the drawers of the old white dresser.

His eyes widened, his mouth parted, he almost drooled as the other turned and Taehyung could see the red coiled rope clutched in his hand. The pale skin of the knuckles contrasted with the strong blood-red hue of the cord.

The younger boy’s chest was heaving, his expression serious, his cock completely hard under the fabric of his ripped black pants.

“W-where did you g-get that?”

“You gave me a lot of time, while preparing your surprise. I did mine too.”

He walked slowly, Taehyung’s cock throbbed to every paw on the floor.

Pressing one knee on the bed, with the other leg extended toward the floor, Jeongguk bent down and forced him to rest on the mattress and support his weight on both elbows.

He slowly grazed the red rope against his face, tracing his closed eyes, his nose and lips, his chest, his arms, his cock, his bare legs.

“What will you do to me?”

Taehyung asked with a smile, widening his eyes, a wave of arousal running through his body, watching his boyfriend’s deep dark eyes, as he said:

“I want you to tie me up and fuck me however you want, so hard that I can’t get out of this bed today. Baby, I want to be heavenly sore and bruised by you, like a blank canvas where you can draw and paint whatever you want.”

Taehyung’s eyes sparkled, brighter than the sun coming out.

Jeongguk wickedly demanded:

“You ought me my Christmas present. I’m collecting now.”

~~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song in this chapter:  
I'll Be, Edwin McCain  
Official YouTube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5qrTmNDZ-nc
> 
> To all my lovely readers:  
I hope you enjoyed this humble piece of work. I tried my best, sorry for mistakes and delays.
> 
> Stay strong and healthy.  
  
Published: 2020-03-10


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